Water Damage Restoration Process

12/5/2018 (Permalink)

You may be wondering, what if. What if my dishwasher started leaking and water was everywhere? What if the hose on my washing machine was faulty and water started spewing leaving standing water all in my laundry room? What if a pipe burst or my toilet overflowed and leaked through the ceiling into the next room? What if. No one wants to deal with such a miserable circumstance within your home. No one wants water damaged furniture or walls but there are unfortunate circumstances that happen and knowing that there is a process that can help get your home back to its original state and in good health can put a person’s mind at ease.

Flooding in a home is not always the result of bad, heavy rain, weather; rather flooding and water damage can occur through multiple avenues. Emergencies that cause water damage may include a clogged toilet, pipes bursting, home appliances leaking, a water heater leak, sewer backup and sump pump failure. The results of these major mishaps consist of the beginning stages of water damage. It doesn’t take long for standing water to cause major problems. Water in your home tends to ruin whatever is in its wake such as furniture, flooring, and drywall. When moisture gets in dark crevices of your home it becomes the perfect breeding ground for mold.

Therefore, water restoration is more than just dabbing the water with towels or big industrialized fans to dry the surface, it is a process that goes beyond what the eye may see thoroughly restoring what the water may have touched regardless of what layer of the home it may be resting in.

Inspection

The process always begins with a thorough inspection of the water-damaged area. The inspection allows us to determine what level of damage there may be and what will need to take place to bring the affected area to full restoration.

As we examine the water damage we take note to what may be affected whether it’s only a little bit of moisture to water being absorbed into walls and the area is saturated. We also determine what type of house material was affected such as hardwood, carpeting, stone, and concrete. Once the damage is determined then what type of water that was involved in doing the damage is noted.

This type of water may include water from a clean water source such as a toilet tank or broken pipes. It may consist of “grey water” which is water that contains something like detergent or urine from a toilet overflow. The water may be completely unsanitary and may have come from sewage, river flooding or standing water that may have bacteria. Precautions and observations are all taken into account during the inspection process.

Water removal and drying

It is imperative when there is excess water and moisture, for it to be removed and beginning to dry in a quick and expedited manner. In order to remove all water, pumps and vacuums are brought in to your home to quickly get ahead of and prevent any mold and bacteria growth. Once the standing and excess water is thoroughly soaked up the drying begins. We will bring in a dehumidifier to clear all moisture from the room as well as industrialized fans to stir up the air causing the affected area to dry quicker. The drying process may take several days to thoroughly complete the job.

Cleaning and restoring

To prevent mold and bacteria growth it is important to have all personal belongings clean and sanitized. An antimicrobial treatment is given to anything affected such as carpeting, clothing, and drapery. The room, as well as the air in the affected area, is all treated and thoroughly cleaned to be sure any unwanted particles are all removed. Once the water damage is dried and cleaned then the restoration can begin. This process consists of replacing any materials that were affected such as drywall and insulation. This process may be simple or more extensive depending on how much damage occurred. We may only be restoring a few panels of drywall or they may need to replace an entire wall.

When SERVPRO of Oldham/Shelby County come on the scene of your water mishap we are equipped with knowledge and equipment to get the job done well. We have devices that will test and measure the humidity in the room that confirms when the water is thoroughly dried and back to an approved standard. The water restoration process may take longer than a homeowner may intend but water damage crisis is never a time to cut corners because when it is left unattended water damage can affect the health of a home’s foundation as well as those who are living inside. During the water restoration process, rest assured we will always take into consideration the health and wellness of the home and occupants.