Water Damage Cleanup:
Classifying Water Damage & Destruction
Aaron’s Restoration is a member of the Institute of Inspection Cleaning & Restoration. According to IICRC Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration, there are four classes of water damage and destruction:
Class 1 Water Damage
Class 1 Water Damage is the lowest amount of destruction – and the easiest to deal with. Class 1 Water Damage has the least amount water, absorption and evaporation.
- Only part of an area or room is affected
- There is little or no wet carpet
- moisture has only contacted materials with a low “permanence” (absorption) rate, such as concrete
Class 2 Water Damage
Class 2 Water Damage has a large amount of water, absorption and evaporation. This level of water damage affects an entire room, including carpet, drapery or cushions.
- Water has wicked up the walls at least 12
- Water has permeated carpet, furniture and drapery
- There is moisture remaining in structural materials.
Class 3 Water Damage
Class 3 Water Damage has the greatest amount of water, absorption and evaporation. This class refers to a situation where there is saturation of ceilings, walls, insulation, carpet and sub-floors.
In many cases of Class 3 water damage, the water may have come from overhead.
Class 4 Water Damage
Class 4 Water Damage refers to specialized drying situations – beyond extreme amounts of water, absorption and evaporation. This means there has been enough liquid – and enough time has passed – to saturate even those materials with very low permanence (absorption).
In cases of Class 4 water damage, water may have permeated hardwood, brick, or stone.
