Attack of the Washing Machine

The washing machine is at it again.  I can't tell you how many times we get called in on a damage that happens because someone left their washing machine running while they left the house or on at night while they slept. Washing Machines can cause trouble!!

Here is a particularly unfortunate damage that I heard about recently.

A couple had just bought their new house and were going to sleep in it that night.  The woman woke up and meandered down the stairs after a great nights sleep and took the last step onto their first floor and KERPLUNK found three inches of standing water waiting for her.  Turns out after turning on the washer the night before the hose that connects the waterline to the washer had come loose and instead of filling the washer had filled their entire first floor. She called an emergency team out that promptly fixed the problem, pumped out all the water and put in dryers to make sure the damage was properly mitigated.  What they didn't expect was how much damage had occurred to the house and the contents.  Water damages rarely end when all the water has been taken out, drywall wicks water (For those of you who don't know what that is, drywall, like a tree, wicks water which means it draws it upward and outward until it runs out of water to wick).  A "good" restoration company will get their moisture readers out and fix the insulation as needed but this couple wasn't so lucky.  They hired an organization that just painted over parts of the drywall that looked damage, replaced the carpet and called it a day.  A few months later they found mold growing by accident and when they opened up the drywall found mold all throughout the bottom floor of the house.

This just stresses the importance of getting it done right the first time.  Making sure to hire an organization that doesn't cut corners to come in at a lower bid can save you money in the long run.  Mold, in some cases, is not covered by insurance, so this cost can be on the homeowner to fix and can be dangerous for your health.  So when a disaster occurs make sure and take a moment to read reviews, ask for referrals from trusted advisors, and do your research!