The ABCs of Water Damage Restoration

 

When it comes to water damage, many crucial steps must be taken to restore your home to its previous condition. From stopping the water from pouring in, extracting the water, drying out the home, and cleaning and disinfecting the mess to preventing mold, repairing plumbing, and replacing waterlogged building materials and ruined contents, the task of restoring your home is monumental. There are literally hundreds of steps that the water damage restoration team must perform. In addition, you’ll have your own set of steps to take care of such as filling out insurance claims forms and finding temporary housing. While water damage restoration is complex, it can be summed up by remember the following ABCs of water damage restoration.

 

·        Assess the Damage – Before a water damage company can get to work, it must first assess the damage. This may be as simple as identifying the source of the water and the extent of its reach to more difficult assessments and site surveys. Properly assessing the nature of the water event allows the water damage company to use the right type of equipment and techniques for the job at hand.

 

·        Banish the Water – One of the first steps is to stop the water from its onslaught and then banish the water from the building. Temporary plumbing, roofing, or other structural repairs may be needed, water valves may need to be shut off, and water extraction processes applied.

 

·        Clean Up – Once the water has been banished, a residual mess is left behind – even if the water came from a relatively clean source. All affected contents, furnishings, and building materials must be cleaned and disinfected.

 

·        Dry Out and Decontaminate – Removing the water and cleaning affected areas doesn’t end the job. The building must be completely dried out and decontaminated. Water damage restoration companies use industrial strength blowers and other drying equipment to quickly dry the building as well as strong disinfectants and mold inhibitors to ensure that your water damaged building doesn’t harbor harmful organisms.

 

·        Exercise Caution – Throughout the water damage restoration process, extreme caution is required. Not only is there a risk of electrocution due to water and electricity, the flood waters are likely contaminated with bacteria, chemicals, and other harmful contaminants. After the building has been dried, mold becomes a concern. The water damage restoration team is well aware of these risks and dons appropriate protective gear while also following a strict set of safety precautions.

 

·        Fast Forward to the three R’s: Restore, Repair, and Recover – While an entire book can be written on the various steps involved in water damage restoration, let’s fast forward to the three R’s: Restore, Repair, and Recover. The primary goal of the water damage restoration company is to restore your home to its previous condition. This involves each of the preceding steps and many others. Carpets may need to be replaced, drapes cleaned, new wallpaper installed, and so on. In addition, structural and plumbing repairs may be needed such as tearing out water damaged drywall and floorboards, installing new insulation, repairing broken plumbing, and so on. Once all of the drying, cleaning, repairing, and restoring tasks are done, you can finally focus on recovering. Floods and water damage events cause huge messes and take their toll.

 

When you hire a professional water damage restoration company, you’ve taken your first step toward recovering and getting your life back.

 

By: Mr. Mark Decherd

 

For more information and other articles by Mark Decherd go to:

 

Dryout® Inc.
1415 Colonial Blvd.
Fort Myers, Fl. 33907
http://dryout.typepad.com/water-damage-answers/
239-437-7100

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Dryout Inc Emergency water damage restoration, drying, deodorization, decontamination, disinfection, mold removal, water damage repair, restoration and reconstruction of commercial and residential properties damaged by fire, water and other disasters by a network of trained specialists, technicians and restoration professionals across the USA and Canada.

 

Comments

[O-N Engineering]

Restoration has been important for many of the buildings. As some of the buildings which are centuries old, and are not in very good condition. Most of the historical building are in the same condition. I was searching about Restoration Engineering and got some good blogs and websites as check http://www.o-n.com/ it will help you for sure.

[water damage company]

Very clever way of explaining the process - the ABCs of water damage restoration - very good.

[Jen McCleve]

My sister's place had a bunch of water damage from a flood earlier on this year. She tried to do a lot of the restoration herself, but eventually she gave in and called an expert. It really helps to have someone who knows what they are doing.

[water damage clean]

i would recommend that before started any restoration process, proper photography (better if photography) should done for the sake of evidence to be presented to insurance companies.