Flooding in your home is never a welcome sight, but the mere presence of water should prompt immediate action. Quick water removal and restoration is the key to getting your home back to its original condition—and you back to enjoying a water-free home. Here’s why, and other water damage restoration tips for a smooth and easy recovery process.
Why do I need to remove water and clean up water damage right away?
It doesn’t matter if the water damage is from a leaky roof or heavy rainfalls. Water damage needs to be cleaned up immediately (or addressed by a water restoration company). The Environmental Protection Agency recommends throwing away items that haven’t been dried out and restored within 48 hours.
Delaying the water removal and restoration work can lead to health hazards, both in the long- and short-term. In optimal conditions, mold can grow as soon as 24 hours after a home is flooded. Over time, mold can spread, cause more damage, and even become a major health hazard. This process can also lead to more expense and repairs.
What should I do when I find water in my home?
- Never enter a flooded room if the electricity and gas is still on. Always turn off the power and gas (without wading through the water) to prevent electrocutions and accidents.
- Be very cautious about wading into sewage back-ups and water that could contain chemicals. These conditions can cause injuries and may need more extensive disinfection and clean-up.
- Always take pictures of the flooding and water damage for future use. These photos can be invaluable when communicating with the insurance company.
- Contact your insurance company as soon as possible to initiate the water damage restoration process.
- Hire a water damage restoration company that has experience working with insurance companies; these businesses are familiar with the process and can make the recovery process easier with less hassles.
- If the water damage is caused by a repairable issue, such as a leaky roof, take preventative measures (i.e. putting a tarp over a hole, turning off the water) to keep more water from coming into your home (if possible).
What is water damage restoration?
Water damage restoration and repair is more than just water clean-up. Reputable water damage restoration companies come into flooded homes, remove the water (if needed), and start the drying out process with fans and de-humidifiers.
Professionals start cleaning hard surfaces (and disinfecting, if needed) and removing porous materials that absorb water. Removal of these materials is necessary because these materials are more susceptible to microorganism growth. Specifically, removing drywall and sub-flooring boards is a way to find any hidden water damage (and mold) and dry out wet surfaces.
The last step is restoration and repair, which returns the space (and many of its contents) back to the original condition. In a flooded room, insulation and drywall are rehung. The drywall is mudded and textured. When completed, the space should look as “good as new”—or at least, as good as it was before the water damage.
