Water Damage Cleanup & Restoration

What crosses your mind when you think of water damage? Do you picture a flooded basement or overflowing sink? There are numerous ways that water damage rears its unwanted head. Water damage can result from a flood, sewage backups, appliance failures, broken pipes, damaged roofing or foundation, and even from the aftermath of putting out a fire. Water damage isn’t always evident right away. A slow leak from a pipe hidden behind the walls or a slow drip from a leak in the roof can cause major damage over time. Regardless of the formation of water damage, there is always the possibility of catastrophic damage if the source of the damage isn’t found and repaired and the water or excess moisture is not removed in a timely manner. The longer water and excess moisture are left unattended the more severe the damage and property loss will be.

When water damage strikes your property the first thing you want to do is contact a professional restoration company to restore your home or business to its pre-loss condition. Attempting to perform water damage cleanup or repair on your own without having the proper training or equipment could lead to an even bigger disaster. Professionals go through extensive training to be able to properly perform the water damage cleanup and repair process.

What will the professionals do?

Most reputable restoration companies will respond to your water damage emergency within minutes. Even if you contact them at two in the morning. Professionals will assess the situation when they arrive and document the entire process from start to finish.

The following are the 5 basic steps that restoration companies use to restore your property:

Step 1: Inspection and Water Damage Assessment

Professional restoration technicians will thoroughly inspect your property to determine the extent of damage and will work with you to map out critical steps that need to take place to remove the water and restore your property back to normal conditions as soon as possible.

Step 2: Finding the Sourced

Professionals will determine the source of the water damage and will advise you on how to resolve the issue. The water damage cleanup and repair process will not be effective if the source is left unchecked. If the cause of the leak or excess moisture is not dealt with water damage will just reoccur later down the road.

Step 3: Water Removal and Extraction.

The water and excess moisture removal and extraction process will begin once the source of the water damage has been resolved. Technicians will use top-of-the-line equipment to perform fast water extraction. The methods and equipment they utilize will minimize further damage to the structure of the property. Quick removal of water and excess moisture also prevents future mold growth.

Step 4: Dehumidification and Drying.

After any standing water has been removed it’s time to go after the excess moisture that may be hiding within your walls, flooring, and ceiling. Technicians will use dehumidifiers and air movers to dry out the hidden moisture preventing additional damage to your foundation, basement, floors, walls, attic, and ceiling.

Step 5: Cleaning and Sanitizing

The water damage cleanup and repair process doesn’t stop after the drying process. Water can leave behind a sour odor on your upholstery, flooring, carpet, and within the structure of your property. As we mentioned before, water damage can easily lead to mold growth, and even the cleanest water leak is no exception. The affected property needs to be treated with special solutions that will prevent the growth of mold and sour odors need to be dealt with.

Water damage from sewage is even more dangerous. Sewage can be chalk full of bacteria such as E–Coli and hepatitis. The cleaning and sanitizing process with this type of water damage can become complicated and should only be performed by professionals. Technicians will take proper safety precautions when decontaminating and sanitizing your property, killing and removing the bacteria without harming themselves or those around them.

Step 6: Restoration

The repair process, also known as water damage restoration, can be as minor as replacing the drywall, small sections of flooring, or as extensive as rebuilding entire rooms as well as stabilizing and restore property structure and foundation. Each restoration company will tackle this part of the water damage cleanup and repair process in a different manner.