Water damage occurs every 40 seconds in the United States. Although it can be a devastating experience, there are some preventative measures you can take to minimize the chances of this disaster. In case water does cause damage to your home, you can recognize the signs to prevent it from occurring. Below are five tips from pros at Water Damage Restoration to help ease your water damage fears:
First, identify the category of water damage. When water damage is of a low category, it’s easy to dry up. However, it’s still important to remove items that may be contaminated with gray water. For instance, appliances that have undergone a hard water cycle may have leaked or been damaged by a faulty backflow in a plumbing fixture. These types of water damage may not be as dangerous as Category 2, but they are still a major problem and require immediate attention.
Next, determine whether your insurance company will cover the cost of upgrades. In general, insurance companies won’t cover improvements you make to the damaged area, so if you want to replace damaged areas, you can contact a contractor and estimate the cost of the work. Make sure you know what you’ll need to pay out of your own pocket to make sure you don’t overextend yourself. If you can’t afford to make these upgrades, your insurance may not be renewed.
After you determine the extent of the water damage, it’s important to plan how to clean the property. Leaving standing water in the home can have a negative impact on structural integrity and cause respiratory illnesses. You’ll also want to remove all soaked belongings, as the moisture left behind can promote the growth of mold. Water damage restoration is a critical part of the recovery process, so it’s vital to hire a professional. A skilled water damage restoration team can help keep the growth of mold and bacteria under control.
In addition to cleaning the water and repairing structural damage, a qualified team can provide mold and fungi remediation and a variety of other services. Untreated water damage can cause several health hazards, including a hazard to your home’s structural integrity and a risk for electrocution. Standing water may also cause corroded metal surfaces, warped wood floors, and even a rotting basement. Ultimately, water damage can be a liability issue if left untreated.
Before hiring a professional water damage restoration team, take photos of the affected areas. You can use these photos to justify the costs of replacements. In addition to the visible damage, water damage affects all objects that get wet. Objects stored in closets or drawers may also be affected by the mold growth. You may be able to get reimbursement for the costs of cleaning such objects. A professional water damage team will be able to provide you with recommendations in your area.
Once the water mitigation team has identified the source of the water damage, they can begin the remediation process. Depending on the extent of the damage, a single room might take less than a month to repair, while a flooded basement can take a few weeks or more. Because water damage spreads so quickly, the repair process may take more than a month. If a burst pipe has caused a flood in a basement, the water damage could last for several weeks.
After the water damage mitigation team has completed the remediation process, they’ll begin the reconstruction process. Restoration workers will begin by removing any standing water. Industrial vacuums and specialized machines will be used to extract wet carpets and floors. Wet carpets and subflooring will also be ripped up. Once the water damage restoration team has finished the water damage mitigation process, they’ll move onto the next step – restoring the home.
The restoration of water damage can be expensive. It can cost anywhere from $400 to 8000 dollars. The costs of restoration may also depend on the type of water and the extent of the damage. If you have any questions about the cost of water damage restoration, you can contact a professional water damage company. Just make sure that you make your expectations clear, or you may need to find a different company. You must also know the difference between flood and water damage.
Category 1 water damage refers to the least severe type of water damage according to the IICRC scale. Examples of category 1 water damage include overflowing sinks, broken pipes, and various appliance issues. Clean water and sewage-free water are involved. Most items that have been damaged in category one incidents can be dried without extensive repair. You’ll need to contact a professional water damage company if your home has suffered any of these scenarios.