Maintaining your home is a top priority, but sometimes, Mother Nature can leave a mess. In other cases, major plumbing problems may be caused by faulty systems or failing equipment. When the unexpected happens and your house ends up flooded, a residential water restoration service is the best solution. Find out what you can expect from professional water restoration for your home.
Causes & Signs Of Water Damage
Before resolving water damage and restoring your home to its former glory, it’s important to investigate the cause of the issue. Burst pipes, broken appliances, and water overflow are just a few possible culprits. Damaged sprinklers or plumbing systems and natural disasters are often responsible for water damage, too.
Whatever the cause may be, you can detect water damage by looking for noticeably swollen or warped floorboards and walls, cracked ceilings, peeling paint, water stains, mold, mildew, and musty odors. If you notice any of these things, it’s best to contact a professional who can help minimize the long-lasting impact of flooding in any room.
Initial Water Damage Inspection
When water damage restoration specialists first arrive at your property, they will complete an inspection to identify the source of water and the contamination category, which ultimately influences the cost of repairs. It’s important to understand potential hazards within the water and affected areas to ensure the safest and smoothest cleanup process possible.
For example, water damage originating from sinks, bathtubs, pipes, and water heaters is typically considered “white water” with little to no contamination. “Gray water” from washing machines and dishwashers may have some contaminants, while toilet and sewer flooding is the most severe “black water” with hazardous contaminants.
By inspecting and identifying the water damage situation, specialists can ensure the proper treatment to help restore your living spaces.
Water Damage Restoration Process
After the initial inspection, specialists will complete water damage restoration step by step as they make necessary repairs and restore your property.
Step 1: Extraction
Any standing water needs to be removed from a flooded basement or living room, and this is done through heavy-duty extractors like submersible pumps or industrial vacuums. Once stagnant water is extracted, portable wet/dry vacuums can help clean up any remaining surface water.
Step 2: Dry & Dehumidify
Next, industrial fans and air movers will be brought in to dry out the room, with commercial dehumidifiers also used to improve air quality. Specialists also suggest opening windows and doors to boost air circulation while waiting for the drying and dehumidification process, which takes more time than water extraction.
Step 3: Sanitization
Professionals will wear PPE and use HEPA vacuums and air scrubbers to thoroughly clean and sanitize all surfaces. This is especially important to prevent the spread of mold and mildew. Negative air machines also help with sanitation, and for Category 3 damage, antimicrobial cleaning solutions are necessary.
Step 4: Repair/Reconstruction
Last but not least comes the final repairs and reconstruction as required. Once the water-damaged areas are dried and cleaned, carpet, trim, and drywall can be fixed or replaced. The more severe the damage is, the more likely it is that full reconstruction will be required, although professionals provide expert recommendations to help homeowners better understand the water damage restoration process.
