LEARN ABOUT WATER DAMAGE FROM NOAH’S FLOOD. Point #4 will blow your mind!
What can we Learn about Water Damage from the Flood of Noah?
Almost everyone is familiar with the biblical story of Noah’s flood. It has stood the test of time and remained as one of the most enduring stories in human history. It is a Sunday school favorite for teaching children lessons on living morally in a secular world. Not only are there character lessons parents find valuable in the story, but there are also some strikingly interesting things we learn about water damage from the flood of Noah.
That’s correct! Skeptics beware; as this article will identify facts about water damage, flooding, and its needed mitigation for humans to achieve order and get back to life as usual once again. All found in the Bible, and several facts long before modern science fully understood how such details related to water damage and its needed mitigation.
While the flood of Noah is often regarded as a religious narrative, I hope to uncover some valuable insights into the destructive effects of water damage found in its story. We will explore preparedness, prevention, methods for mitigation, and all with the hope that bringing out new insights may breathe new interest into an ancient story.
4 Things we Learn about Water Damage from the Flood of Noah
The Power of Water Damage:
The scriptures make it clear that the flood of Noah was an inimitable onetime event, never seen before on earth. Water from torrential rains, deep springs rising from earthquakes and active volcanoes spuing their fury, the earth experienced a cataclysmic event that covered the entire face of the earth with water.
This emphasizes the immense power of water and its capacity to cause widespread destruction. It reminds us of the need to understand the potential consequences of water damage in the home, commercial structure, or business. Unexpected water can come furiously and rush into a property and inundate multiple rooms at any time. No property is immune to a sewage backup from a floor drain, a broken plumbing fixture, water pipe or even a malfunctioning appliance like a washing machine or dish washer.
Anyone who has come home to a flooded basement after a few days away on vacation or even after a day of work, knows of the power of water damage. Residential water damage is one of the most common insurance claims made each year in the US. Understanding the immense power of water damage can inspire property owners to take preventative actions that can greatly reduce damage to their home or business. We will explore some preventative tips in this article that are proven to help limit the power of water damage.
Following Good Advice Can Mitigate the Destruction of Water Damage
The scripture says, “Noah did everything just as God commanded.” Just as he followed good instructions from one that had superior knowledge, it is a reasonable proposition that property owners can benefit by listening to a professional water restoration company’s, tips on prevention. There are tips that if adhered to can mitigate the effects of water damage and limit its impact on your home. Here are several tips from the professionals at Action Extraction restoration that can prevent a water damage emergency in your home. These tips can save you time, money, headache and most importantly, reduce damage to your home.
- Annually tighten water hoses and fittings to prevent leaks
- Make sure your insurance policy covers backups of sewers and sump pump failures
- Clean gutters and make sure downspouts point away from the home
- Watch your water bill for unusual increases in usage.
- Know where the water main is located & how to shut it off
- Install a water alarm by floor drains and sump pump area
Careful adherence to trusted guidance is just one of the lessons we learn about water damage from the flood of Noah. Just as he and his family followed sound directions given them, so too should you consider the proven council from the professionals in the water restoration business.
Build a Resilient ARK (Home)
Noah’s ark is an example of a vessel built for endurance having a resilient infrastructure. It was designed to withstand the greatest flood on earth, and other potential hazards related to floating and navigating fierce waves. If it had structural compromise of any type, it may have fractured and scuttled to the depths, but it did not!
Your home cost you a lot no doubt, even if you got it for the deal of the century. The present housing atmosphere is a sellers’ market where over bidding by 10 and even 20K is common. When you invest in a home, you need to make sure its infrastructure is hefty, not flimsy. All it takes is a ruptured supply line, toilet overflow or washing machine malfunction to create a water damage nightmare of monumental proportion. When this happens and you afterward learn the damages were preventable for pocket change, you will kick yourself. Well, no need for self-affliction yet, unless you don’t follow this short list for a robust home infrastructure.
- CHANGE OUT WATER SUPPLY LINES FOR TEFLON COATED – STEEL BRAIDED. Many builders cut corners on plumbing materials placing plastic/vinyl water supply lines in kitchens and baths. Replacing them with updated materials will make them more durable and limit the chance for flooding.
- BUY A TOILET DESIGNED TO NOT CLOG. Discounted toilets are not always the best choice, especially if they clog regularly. Non-clogging toilets are usually single-piece designs with a larger flush valve than a traditional one. Avoid systems with a tight turn radius that can be seen conspicuously when viewing the toilet from the side.
- GET A STRONG & DURABLE LAUNDRY TUB. Some cheaper models are subject to collapse when a leg is hit with blunt force. Some tubs themselves can be so thin, they crack over time.
- PURCHASE NAME BRAND PLUMBING FIXTURES. While it is tempting to purchase products on sale, name brands have a proven history for durability. Even sales personnel in hardware stores will recommend not skimping on quality and suggest a name brand over a non-proven discounted brand.
- INSTALL A QUALITY SUMP PUMP & REPLACE IT EVERY 7 YEARS. Many hardware stores have an inventory of various sump pumps to choose from. Because they make the difference between flooding and staying dry, it is best to spend the extra for a cast iron or plumbers grade sump pump. Basement flood damage is a common Michigan occurrence, often the result of poor product manufacturing. Sump pumps with stationary float systems are recommended over the free-floating tether type.
- CLEAN GUTTERS & DOWNSPOUTS ANNUALLY. During heavy rains water needs to be correctly channeled off the roof and sent through the down spout system, away from the home. When blockages from leaves hinder this process, water damage can take place, allowing water to seep into attics and ultimately through ceilings into the home.
- BUY FROST PROOF SPIGOTS & WINTERIZE THEM. The best way to minimize water damage from cold weather on household plumbing is to purchase frost free spigots only. We recommend also to winterize them pre-winter season. Freezing water always expands affecting the materials that house them whether copper, galvanized or pex plumbing materials. Burst water pipes are common during winter months and can cause thousands of dollars of damage. Using durable materials can reduce the potential of freezing that causing winter water damage.
- KEEP THERMASTST AT A TEMPERATURE NO LOWER THAN 55°. Never allow the indoor temperature of your home to dip so low, water pipes can freeze and burst. Many Michigan residents are called snowbirds because they leave during the winter months to stay in Florida. Because no one is living in the home, they figure on saving money for heating by lowering the thermostat temperature setting. While this is an excepted and usually safe practice, allowing indoor air temperatures to drop below 55° can be dangerous. Any compromised plumbing may become subject to cold air drafts and allow for pipes to freeze and eventually rupture.
- INSULATE YOUR HOME ADEQUATELY. In newer construction homes, be sure to have all exterior walls adequately insulated. This would include insulation around all plumbing and in ceilings. In older construction there are options to fortify the existing insulation with either “blown-in” or “spray foam”.
- BIENNIAL PLUMBING INSPECTIONS. Have a plumber inspect your plumbing system, fittings, and fixtures as well as the sanitary sewer system every 2 years. This can identify potential problems before they ever manifest in the form of water damage.
Having a well-fortified dwelling is one of the things we learn about water damage from the flood of Noah. Each thing mentioned above is reasonable and affordable. None will cost a lot in comparison to a water damage scenario, as even a small amount of water can cause structural compromise and mold growth.
A Fortified Home will Resist Water Damage Like a Strong Body Does Injury
Exercising the body regularly builds muscle that keeps you strong for life’s physical challenges. A stronger back, better stamina and more capable physical frame can more easily parry the unexpected stresses placed upon the body. Taking this same approach to your home has the identical benefits. When you follow through with our checklist for a robust infrastructure, your home is less susceptible to the effects of water damage.
Water pressure surges, heavy rains, appliance malfunctions and potential plumbing disasters, will have to be on the grand scale before your fortified home is affected. Your neighbors may be struggling during such a crisis, but you fortified, you acted, and will remain safe and free from destruction and remain afloat, just like Noah.
Air Movement Creates the Evaporation that Leads to Drying.
The Bible tells us in Genesis 8:1 “God made a wind over the earth and the waters subsided.” Wind always exists on earth, but here God involves Himself suggesting a wind not found in nature. The wind here was a supermundane (transcending the earthly) wind for the strict purpose of evaporating water to dry the land.
This is an interesting lesson we learn about water damage from the flood of Noah. We learn that air movement plays a distinct role in drying, that air removes water through evaporation, something not known to man till the 18th century. Plato and other philosophers believed water in streams, rivers and other bodies were maintained from underground.
It was the experiments from the Swedish physicist and theologian Nils Wallerius in 1739 that first documented the phenomena of the evaporation of water. Prior to his research no one knew of the hydrologic principle our world relies on for the sharing of water through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. That is except the writer of Genesis as he speaks of water disappearing from land with the use of wind, or air movement.
This is what those in the water damage restoration industry know as psychrometry, “the art and science of drying.” We use commercial air movers to generate rapid air movement because that’s how things get dry. Water becomes vapor with the help of air and this is an essential step in the drying process. If you have experienced flood damage of any type, what we learn about water damage from the flood of Noah, is you need air movement.
Professional Air Movers vs the Wind of God.
Unless your prayers can assure the move of a supernatural wind to help with structural drying, you will need to depend on an air mover, or several. These devices are fans specifically designed to transport air forcefully upon wet structures to facilitate drying. Of all the processes involved in water damage restoration to remove excess moisture, none are more important than air flow. Water damage restoration professionals know how to fully leverage air flow to force water to become vapor.
The experts at Action Extraction water damage restoration in Macomb, use air flow to produce dry and safe environments on each flood project we manage. We know how to use air flow effectively to reach hidden and trapped moisture in materials that would otherwise succumb to mold growth.
We use specialty drying equipment to structurally dry wet wood flooring, wood cabinetry, wet insulation drywall and carpeting. We also have a US patent on the world’s fastest wall cavity drying system, that uses controlled energy to dry faster and at less expense. Our commitment to structural drying has allowed us to have an impeccable record at preventing mold growth on all our restoration projects for 35 years.
This experience lets us confidently confirm the things we have learned about water damage from the flood of Noah are true. Which leads us to the 5th thing we learn from Noah’s flood.
The Restoration Process after Water Damage can be a Long-Term Process
After the flood, Noah and his family were faced with what had to be an insurmountable task, rebuilding their world and their lives. Everything would be new as the old was now forever gone. This teaches us that complete recovery from water damage can be a process that takes time.
Small water damage losses such as wet carpet from a drain backup may be resolved swiftly, but grand scale water damage that affects the whole house as Noah’s flood affected the whole world, can be overwhelming and take time to fully recover from.
Finding the right water damage restoration firm matters, especially if one can get you back on your feet quicker. Our specialists at Action Extraction have proven to be quicker than general contractors and when new flooring is needed, we get materials weeks ahead of even wholesale flooring companies. Although patience is required after grand scale water damage, don’t let a company’s apathy towards your conditions allow them to be slothful.
They should be on-site from the first day of service till structural drying is complete. Typically, the initial day of service involves water removal, demolition of damaged materials, sanitizing and set-up of all drying equipment. Each day they should be present to monitor their drying chamber for efficiency and detail the progress.
New Materials are Often Required to Rebuild after Flooding
Noah’s world would be completely new as the old he had known was destroyed by water. He and his family would have to begin from scratch and the world they were to inhabit required new everything. This teaches that after devastating flood damage materials are destroyed and beyond the scope of restoration.
There is no need to inquire, should flood damaged carpet be restored? There is no reason to question should water damaged paneling be restored, as both are beyond the scope of recovery. Trying to restore water damaged materials that require removal invites mold growth and structural compromise.
If flooding in a property has languished for days, removing wet drywall during flood cleanup is also required to keep air quality safe and free from mold. During an insurance claim for a water loss, it is important to have an experienced contractor involved in the insurance claim. The experienced professionals at Action Extraction will always opt for new materials to replace damaged and compromised materials. We have a fine eye for detail and know how to communicate with your insurance carrier in a compelling way to get you what you deserve.
Final Thoughts on What we Learn about Water Damage from the Flood of Noah
While the story of Noah’s flood is instrumental as a history lesson about humankind, it also carries profound insights into the impact of water damage. From the scrolls of the ancient scriptures, we discover fascinating truths about water damage that still hold true today. Each of these 6 points in this article are indisputably recognized by experts in the water restoration industry.
They know the power of water; they follow the expert recommendations of the IICRC which has published the guidelines for water damage restoration. They are aware of the prevention of water damage that comes from fortifying a properties infrastructure and they know how to use air movement to dry materials. All these features are found in Noah’s story and still hold true today as it did then. Perhaps that makes the story of Noah even more remarkable, that ancient truth can survive the test of time, when it is true.