It can be very difficult recovering from water damage when it happens to your home or business. Frequent causes are burst pipes, overflows from clogged drains in the bathroom, kitchen or laundry room and sewage eruption. These can happen anywhere and without notice. When damage is extensive, cleanup and water damage restoration should be left to professionals who are trained in proper techniques.
While it is true that it can be very expensive cleaning up after any kind of flood, home owners and businesses can find some comfort in the knowledge that many insurance policies include coverage for these events. The problem often occurs when finding properly trained technicians who know how to perform cleanup to prevent further damage.
Even though it is best to call experts in water damage restoration when flooding has happened over large sections or the entire home, there are some things property owners can do themselves to mitigate some of the damage. This guide should help.
Extraction
One of the worst things that can happen after a flood is the development and growth of mould in a structure. In fact, mould can begin to grow within just 24 hours after flooding has taken place. To reduce the chances of this happening, it is vital that the water be removed as quickly as possible. Quick removal of standing water also has the positive effect of reducing damage to furniture and other aspects of the home. The longer water is allowed to remain in place, the greater likelihood that it will penetrate more deeply. This is why extraction is a key element of water damage restoration.
Drying
Once visible water has been effectively extracted from carpets, furniture and other damaged areas of the home or office, it is necessary to use equipment to help continue the drying process. Air movers such as high velocity fans and dehumidifiers do an excellent job of this, but good ventilation is required, as well. Opening doors and windows can help accelerate this process, particularly when the outdoors humidity is lower than that inside the building. It is also beneficial to leave the air conditioner or heater running as well when possible.
Water Damage Restoration
Part of the process of water damage restoration involves removing damaged items from the home. These items can be dried separately in another location, if they can be restored to usable condition. Porous items such as drywall, carpet and insulation capture and retain water beneath the surface. For this reason, it is often necessary to completely remove and replace these.
The term water damage restoration refers to returning a home or business to its former condition prior to receiving the damage. Careful monitoring of the situation is critical if this process is to be effective. Most home and business owners have little if any knowledge of how to do this, or the equipment necessary for implementation of techniques or measuring their effectiveness.
Time is another factor involved in water damage restoration. It can take several days to complete the drying process. This is why careful monitoring is so important. Throughout the process, humidity levels and temperatures must be kept track of, and at times, drying equipment must be moved to effect the desired changes. Drying, cleaning, decontaminating and mold inhibitors are all some of the techniques used to mitigate damages.
The extent of the damage is used to determine if other repairs are required. An example of that would be whether or not the carpet, carpet pad and drywalls must be replaced. Leaving these in place is not always wise, since they are often much harder to dry effectively. Doing so, especially when they have been exposed to contaminants other than clean water can lead to the growth of more than unpleasant odors.
The work of water damage restoration is only complete once the home has been returned to the condition it was in before the damage occurred.