The Cost of Ignoring Water Damage Repairs

4/29/2025 (Permalink)

Water Stains on Ceiling

The Cost of Ignoring Water Damage Repairs

When your pipes spring a leak, you may notice wet patches, stains, trickling noises, and low water pressure. Untreated leaks eventually lead to water damage in your home. Water damage repairs can be pricey, and if the impact seems minimal, you might be tempted to dry the area with a towel and leave it at that. However, the cost of ignoring water damage repairs is far greater than hiring professionals for water removal.

High Utility Bills

One immediate cost of ignoring water damage repairs is high utility bills. Wet insulation struggles to keep your house warm, while damp carpets increase humidity. This forces your HVAC system to work harder, resulting in higher bills and extra stress that shortens your system's lifespan. If you don't fix the water leak, you'll also have higher water bills as the leak worsens.

Property Damage

Another cost of ignoring water damage repairs is structural damage. Leaks can start small, but as the water spreads, your house could suffer from rotting beams, wet insulation, sagging ceilings, stained walls, and cracks in the foundation. Your floors could warp and collapse underneath your feet, and eventually, part of your house might cave in.

Moisture also damages your appliances, electronics, and personal belongings. A single leak could ruin your family photos, school projects, birth certificates, scrapbooks, artwork, and other important documents. When water seeps into your furniture, restoring or replacing your living room set may cost thousands of dollars. Electronics could short circuit, rendering them unusable.

Electrical Hazards

While pure water doesn't conduct electricity, water damage usually involves impure water with small amounts of salts and ions. If the water reaches an electrical device, it could cause an electric shock. Electric shocks can have severe side effects, including burns, numbness, paralysis, seizures, unconsciousness, and even death.

Water could make your appliances short-circuit, leading to overheating or abrupt shutoffs. You could lose access to your lights, HVAC system, security system, or medical devices. Worse, the moisture could corrode your wires and electrical panel, resulting in catastrophic fires. Instead of calling professionals for water damage repair, you'll hire experts specializing in restoring fire-damaged homes.

Higher Insurance Premiums

If you act quickly, your insurance company might cover the cost of water damage remediation. However, if you try to file a claim months after the incident, your insurance company might deny coverage because you didn't try to protect your property. Some insurance companies could even raise your premiums afterward.

Lower Property Value

Potential buyers don't want a home with severe water damage. You could market your house as a "fixer-upper," but you might have to accept a price well below the original value. Preserving your property makes water damage removal worth the investment.

Sewage Backup

If wastewater backs up into your house, the bacteria and fecal matter could expose your family to viruses, diseases, and parasites. Ignoring the issue causes wastewater to spread throughout your property, increasing the risk of deadly infections. Symptoms of sewage exposure include rashes, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, constipation, dizziness and headaches.

Mold and Mildew Growth

Mold spores float through the air until they find a damp space to grow. When mold finds moisture in your house, the spores start to reproduce until you have a massive growth in your walls, ceiling, or carpet. Mold has a black, splotchy appearance that stains your wallpaper or drywall.

When left untreated, a few spores can become a massive growth that requires professional remediation. Mold can grow inside your walls, so you might not notice until you start developing exposure symptoms, such as rashes, sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, fatigue, headaches, and sinus infections. You could even develop asthma from prolonged exposure.

Respiratory Issues

If you have asthma or allergies, damp conditions can exacerbate your symptoms. You might suffer from frequent attacks that decrease your quality of life and possibly lead to a medical emergency. Plus, you'll have to spend more on allergy medication. Eliminating the water damage results in fresh, clean air that makes breathing easier.

Water Hazards

Water creates a wet, slippery surface that may pose a tripping hazard, especially if you have children or elderly residents. Excessive moisture also results in damp, sticky air that is harder to breathe. Buying a dehumidifier helps, but you'll get better results if you target the source of the issue.

Pest Infestations

Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects. Moisture could also cause holes in your walls and roof, inviting pests and rodents to make nests inside your home. This could expose your family to diseases and force you to call pest control. When you have a clean, dry home, you'll notice fewer infestations.

Low Air Quality

Mold spores and musty odors lower your home's indoor air quality (IAQ). Dusting, vacuuming your carpets, and ventilating your house could improve your IAQ, but until you remove the water damage, you won't find permanent relief. Trying to solve the problem with an air purifier adds another avoidable expense.

Once you've eliminated the water damage, dirt and mold spores could linger in your ductwork. Call Arcadia's SERVPRO® for dust and debris removal from ducts. We'll use professional tools to clean your ducts, allowing your HVAC system to circulate clean air throughout your house. Afterward, we'll recommend additional ways to keep your air fresh.