Water damage restoration may be the only solution to making your home livable again, whether it is flooded from heavy rains, a busted pipe, or a roof leak. In this article, we are going to cover everything you need to know about the process. That should get you good and ready for the next time you experience water damage.
What is Water Damage Restoration?
Why don’t we begin by defining what water restoration damage is? As the name implies, it is the process of reinstating property damaged by water to its previous condition. This sounds doable, but the procedure can be complex and time-consuming, depending on the level of damage and the size of the damaged area. You would be forgiven for thinking that flood damage restoration is simply drying the surface of a property, but that is not usually the case. The process is all-inclusive, which means it begins with water reduction and extraction services. Still, it does graduate to drying out the affected area with air movers and humidifiers, removing materials, preventing mold, and reconstruction.
The Restoration Process
The water damage restoration procedure begins with water reduction, and the best part is that you can get a company that specializes in the same to do it for you. When you enlist the company’s services, their team will come to the scene, examine the property, and contain and prevent additional damage. They will also extract all the standing water at the property so that restoration can begin. You may also want to note that a water damage company may only prevent further damage or perform restoration services as well. Once the extraction is done, the water damage restoration process kicks off. Here is the process,
Step One
This first step involves additional water extraction. The team from the restoration company will use portable extractors to eliminate any excess water that may be soaking your carpets and rugs.
Step Two
After that, they will determine whether your carpets can be salvaged or not. This is to be done before drying out the property. The restoration experts will remove your drywall and carpeting to expose wall cavities and subflooring, respectively, which is supposed to facilitate the drying process. If, during their assessment, they did not establish any structural damage, the team can skip this process and proceed to dry out the area.
Step Three
Next, the company will require air movers to help in drying the property. They will also use dehumidifiers to extract moisture from the air. If their drying plan is solid, your property will dry out within a few days.
Step Four
Sometimes, with water damage, mold and fungal growth may be an issue. If the environment is right, mold can begin growing within 24 hours. As such, the emergency water damage restoration company may use antimicrobials to destroy mold or prevent it from growing.
Step Five
Water damage can ruin certain belongings on your property. The good thing is that there are advanced restoration technologies that can help salvage most things. Before the restoration process begins, the company contracted to take care of the problem will remove things like electronics, photos, and clothes from the site.
Although not everything will be saved, you will appreciate that some of your things can be saved.
Step Six
The last step of the water damage services will involve testing the moisture in the affected area to ensure that it is dry. After that, they will re-build any structures that were destroyed by water. This could include plumbing and furnace repair, among other things.
What is the Difference Between Water Mitigation and Water Damage Restoration?
You are probably wondering whether there is a difference between water damage restoration and water mitigation. Well, there is a difference, and it has to do with the process. Water mitigation involves putting measures in place to prevent further water damage. Simply put, it is what the contractors do before they can get to restore your property. It may include salvaging items, preserving the structural integrity of the property, or containing areas of the property where the water damage could spread. Ultimately, mitigation is also about extracting water from the property to arrest the possibility of further water damage. This is usually done with a commercial-grade extractor to remove any stagnant water.
On the other hand, water damage restoration involves reinstating property to its original condition before the water damage. The level of damage caused will determine the amount of restoration that needs to be done. For instance, some cases only require dehumidifiers and air movers to dry out the property, while others will require cutting the drywall, removal of carpets, and application of antimicrobials to prevent mold growth. Besides, there may be a need for plumbers to reconstruct the plumbing system. What you need to keep in mind here is that water mitigation and water damage restoration have to be done together. One is not useful without the other.
What Does a Water Damage Restoration Company Do?
As we have previously mentioned, a water damage restoration company is responsible for returning property that has been damaged by water to its pre-loss condition. The process involves several steps that we have also talked about to ensure that further damage does not occur and that mold does not grow.
The restoration company, in collaboration with a team of professionals, including emergency plumbing services, works with your property’s insurance company to help file claims for the smooth running of things from the beginning to the end of the restoration process. Now, you may opt to have separate companies handling the mitigation and restoration of your property, but it is easier to have one company doing both. That way, you will not engage in a lot of back and forth regarding the restoration process.
Choosing a Water Damage Restoration Contractor
Following a storm or water leakage, you need emergency water extraction services to prevent further damage to your property. The contractor you pick for the job will have a lot to do with whether you like the results or not. This is because the water damage restoration process is complex and requires knowledge of various aspects of construction, including plumbing, insurance assistance, and roofing. You do not want to pay a contractor and still end up outsourcing septic tank services, do you? The following are some of the qualities you should look for in a contractor.
*They should be insured, bonded, and licensed
*Have vast experience working on complex projects that involve demolition and reconstruction
*Experience working with mold damage, fire, and water
*Be able to collaborate with insurance companies to file damage claims
*Have a track record of impeccable water damage restorations they have handled in the past
Things you Need to Know about Water Damage Restoration
Like most homeowners, you probably do not know much about water damage restoration. However, that does not mean that you should be ignorant that you may need one in the future. Here are some of the most important things you need to know about it.
Reach Out to your Insurance Company As Soon as Possible
You want to contact your insurance company as soon as you realize that there is water damage to your property. The company will provide you with instructions on how to prevent further damage.
They will also be able to cover some of the restoration costs making the procedure less expensive. If you fail to contact the insurance company as soon as possible, you may end up covering the cost of restoration on your own. Even if your insurance provider does not offer coverage for water damage, you are better off knowing than always wondering if you could have done something to cut restoration costs.
Do your Due Diligence
Keep in mind that not all insurance companies cover water damage. For instance, most providers will not cover damage caused by flooding. Therefore, if you live in a flood-prone area, you may want to purchase a flood cover separately. It is also not worth being worked up if you find out that your insurance company does not cover water damage. Doing your due diligence will do you a lot of good in the future.
There are Different Kinds of Water Pollution
Did you know that when your insurance company comes to assess your house following water damage, they will categorize it according to the kind of contamination? It could be black water, greywater, or white water. Each type requires its kind of dehumidification, water extraction, and cleaning method. You need to know this because the kind of contamination you have will determine how much you are going to spend.
There is more to Do after the Water Dries
It is easy to think that you are out of the woods after the water is extracted from your property. Sure, you won’t have stagnant water in your property, but there could be moisture in the ceiling, walls, or floor. This moisture can build up and cause molding or rotting to your property, not to mention that mold is harmful to human health. It would be wise to contact a professional to do the drying just to be sure that you will not experience any health issues.
Timing is everything
Timing plays a key role as far as effective water damage restoration. This means that if you delay in taking measures to arrest the water damage, you could end up spending a lot more than you would have if you had acted earlier. You may also want to reach out to a waste removal company to handle any damage that may have been caused to your sewer line due to flooding.
Mold Grows Rapidly
The presence of moisture in your property makes it susceptible to mold, which can cause health issues that are hard to treat. In that regard, you want to act fast to avoid the same.
Different Materials are Cleaned Differently
In a bid to save money, you may try to handle water damage restoration on your own, but that may turn out to be detrimental to you and your property. This is because different materials require different cleaning methods. As someone who does not have training in the same, you may end up causing more damage. To avoid that, you should simply enlist the services of professionals.
Maintenance is Key
Natural occurrences like storms can cause flooding and ultimately water damage. However, leaky pipes and roofs usually cause most water damage. What you probably do not know is that regular maintenance has a part to play in water damage prevention. Ensure that your plumbing system and roof’s gutter function as they should. Just as you take care of your water distillers, so should the drainage system of your home.
Restoration is not as Time Consuming as you think
When you hear of water damage restoration, you probably think that it is a long process that takes weeks or months to complete, but that is not usually the case. Preferably, the procedure should begin a day or two after the water damage. This gives the water damage restoration company time to do its job so that mold doesn’t grow and spread. Because of the swiftness that such companies apply, the restoration process is not likely to take as long as most people assume.
As you have seen, water damage restoration is a tricky and complex project that requires expertise. As such, it would be best to enlist the services of a professional to do the job for you. The last thing you want is to run the risk of further destroying your property or putting your health at risk because of missed spots or a shoddy job.