Water Damage Restoration: Which Situations Need Urgent Attention?

Is your home prepared for an onslaught of water damage? Numerous scenarios can wreak havoc on your home, from leaky pipes to overflowing toilets or natural disasters. In these situations, every second counts – the faster you act, the better your chances of preventing further damage and costly repairs. Let’s look at typical problems that call for immediate water damage restoration and why urgent action is crucial in preserving your property and peace of mind. So grab a towel and get ready to dive into these emergency scenarios!

What Qualifies for Immediate Water Restoration?

When it comes to water damage, your timing is everything! The sooner you start with the immediate water damage restoration, the better we say! But what counts as a primary water emergency regarding water damage? Well, here we outline a few of the situations that you can take in for a quick water damage restoration:

• A leaky or runny pipe that can’t be stopped with any of your actions.
• Flooded basement causing structural damage.
• Sewage outbursts affect your home environment. 
• An overflowing toilet 
• Inefficient roof water drainage
• Old and faulty water heater
• Broken home appliances

Immediate Steps for Water Restoration Damage Process

Well, if you hunt for a good water damage restoration specialist, it’s obvious that they will go for these five-step process for the immediate water restoration damage process:

• Conduct water damage assessment

The expert of water damage restoration inspects or assesses the damage caused by water to determine the source of the water, the type of contamination, and the type of damage caused by the water.

Water damage is heavily influenced by the source of the water, and we have discussed this in a previous section. It may, however, still be difficult to identify the water in some cases. The cause of the water damage may not be known (e.g., flood water may enter through multiple entry points). So it’s best to hire water damage restoration professionals to assess the root cause of damage!  

• Remove every standing water

Extracting standing water (also known as stagnant water) is crucial when a property has a flooded basement. So, get a professional for water damage restoration as they are equipped with equipment such as a submersible pump and industrial vacuum extractors. Also, they will have a portable wet/dry vacuum to remove surface water after removing standing water. Using a thermal infrared camera or a moisture meter, the specialist of water damage restoration can uncover hidden pockets of humidity behind walls or beneath floorboards. Even after vacuuming, residual surface water may still be present. 

• Dry the affected area

Drying and dehumidifying the affected areas will also involve using heavy-duty fans (including air movers) and commercial dehumidifiers. Alternatively, a specialist of water damage restoration may open windows and doors to increase air circulation. However, drying and dehumidification will generally take longer than water removal if the area is 40% severely affected, especially if damage to walls and floors requires demolition.

• Identify molds 

A flood can cause mold to grow within 24 hours, and once it’s started growing, it cannot be easy to eliminate. Mold is less likely to destroy items removed from the water and dried quickly.

In severe cases, you may need to remove the affected area completely. The best course of action is to have a professional assess the situation to be on the safe side and coordinate with the water damage restoration specialist.

• Preventing Molds from Water Damage

It is important to deal with water damage immediately to prevent mold growth. When drying things out, be careful not to spread mold spores throughout your home. You can find mold in many places, including your closet, basement, and shower.

A water damage restoration professional assisting with the drying process significantly decreases mold growth chances.

• Clean and disinfect the areas 

A mold cleanup specialist must wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as N-95 masks, gloves, goggles, rubber boots, and disposable clothing. During sanitation, the water damage restoration specialist uses numerous negative air machines, such as a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) vacuum, an air scrubber, etc.

• Repair and re-construct the necessary area

In the final phase of the water damage restoration process, the specialist removes the parts that cannot be salvaged (e.g., drywall below flood level, low-density trim boards, carpet padding). You can deep clean carpets, but they will most likely need replacing. Depending on the severity of the water damage, it may be possible to reuse wooden trim boards and repair drywall. In the event of a natural disaster, reconstruction may also be necessary.

Water damage restoration can be accomplished thoroughly and effectively by following some basic water damage restoration protocols despite the complex nature of the process at times.

•  Call your insurance company 

There are different types of homeowners’ insurance, so your coverage may vary. A claim adjuster will inspect and assess the damage on behalf of the insurance company.

Ensure you document all the items you can think of and take as many photos as possible before, during, and after cleanup. Thus, the adjuster will know what to expect when they come to assess the damage. It is important to note that not all homeowners’ insurance policies cover flood damage.

Conclusion 

As a precaution against lasting water damage, it is important to act fast in the case of any potential water-related disasters or accidents. Ensuring you know the signs that require immediate assistance can help ensure you have as little downtime as possible and get back to full operation in no time. Keep these tips handy for identifying when water damage requires prompt restoration so you can react quickly if a problem arises!