Brief Overview of the Water Damage Restoration Process

5/19/2017 (Permalink)

Brief Overview of the Water Damage Restoration Process

Water remains one of the most dangerous substances inside an indoor environment due to its destructive nature. Excess water in home or water in business causes property and structures to deteriorate rapidly. Water damage in the home or commercial property could be as a result of burst pipes, excess rain leading to floods or accidental spills inside the property.

Immediately after water spills or enters a property as a result of floods or burst pipes, the water cleanup process ought to commence immediately. This process should start after the rising water levels are noted as a mitigation measure from the losses caused by flood damage. Here are some important water damage restoration tips that can help in case of floods or accidental spills.

First Steps

Immediately after water floods inside an office or home, the first thing that ought to be done is the removal of excess water from the property through mopping and blotting. Water on the wood furniture should be wiped dry after removing all tabletop items and lamps. The wet cushions and upholstery should be removed and propped to dry. Colored rugs ought to be kept away from the wet carpets. All art objects and wood panelling ought to be removed from the walls and kept in a safe and dry place to allow the wall adequate time to dry. Aluminum foils or wooden blocks should be placed between the wet carpeting and furniture legs as a mitigation measure from the continued exposure to water or moisture. The air conditioning ought to be left on to hasten the drying process as well as ensure that the house is well ventilated.

Loss Assessment

Evaluating the loss associated with flooding inside a property is usually the first and most important stride in the process of water damage restoration. It should be done accurately in order to come up with the appropriate plan of restoring the property back to its prime condition. The process of assessing the loss incurred and categorizing it involves the input of both the insurance company and the flood damage control experts. The team identifies the source of the damage, document it and come up with accurate estimates necessary for restoring the property.

Afterwards the categorization process follows and it is determined by the water contamination levels. Category 1 encompasses water coming from sources such as sinks, pipes or toilets as long as it is not mixed with waste. Category 2 includes water bearing contaminants from a washing machine, dishwasher or toilet. Category 3 encompasses contaminated water that can cause death or illnesses from sewages, toilets, flood waters or stagnant water with microbial growth.

Decontamination and Drying

After the assessment and categorization process is complete, the next phase involves drying and decontaminating the property. Decontamination and drying forms an important stage in the water damage restoration process. The professionals involved in this stage use a number of equipment like dehumidifiers, blowers, subfloor freshening equipment and scrubbers to ensure that the water in home or water in business is completely dried out. The decontamination process is carried out in areas that contamination is detected or on the entire property.

Observation and Completion

Observation of the water cleanup exercise and mitigation of the flood damage is a critical step towards achieving the desired results. The monitoring process involves checking whether the drying equipment is properly set and ensuring that the personnel involved in the water cleanup exercise are well qualified. Adequate mitigation steps ought to be taken when any issue crops up during the monitoring process to ensure the complete eradication of water in business or water in home. The whole water damage restoration process is considered complete when the temperature, humidity and moisture content return to the requisite standards.

Conclusion

All the above stages are important in the water cleanup exercise meant to mitigate the losses brought about by flood damage. This process calls for prompt mitigation measures to be taken immediately floods occur. This is the only sure way of eradicating the excess water in home or water in business. Visit http://www.SERVPROashevilleeast.com for more information on water damage.