When Are Water Damage Restoration Companies Needed?

NEWS
January 3, 2015

When Are Water Damage Restoration Companies Needed?

Water damage restoration companies are essential for repairing a home or business affected by a storm, flood or plumbing problem. Water is one of the most destructive forces to affect a building, especially when contaminated with chemicals or organic waste. It will cause mounting concerns in the building if the problem is not addressed expediently, so a professional should be called in as soon as possible.

Why should water damage restoration companies be hired for these issues?

In most cases, floods and sewage backflows will contain dangerous contaminants that people should avoid if at all possible. This includes chemical runoff like oil and fertilizer, and organic waste like animal feces. This provides the ideal environment for bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and other deadly microbes to multiply. Floods often sweep up wild animals, posing another risk. Electrical, structural and fire hazards may also be present, all of which can cause fatal injuries.

Professionals are equipped to handle these environmental hazards and prevent injury. With their hazard equipment and training, industry technicians can quickly eliminate any pressing threats.

Speed is also a major issue when removing excess moisture, as mold could set in within 48 hours if items are not cleaned and dried to some extent. When dealing with extensive destruction, only professional firms have the manpower needed to address the entire building.

How do water damage restoration companies perform repairs?

Removing excess water is a fairly standard process. The first thing that most firms will do in severe cases of water damage is to remove all furniture from the space and identify the extent of the problem. In most cases, the carpeting, baseboards, casings, and insulation will need to be disposed of, along with a significant portion of the room’s drywall. These organic materials will facilitate the growth of mold and other microbes, so allowing them to remain may constitute a health risk.

Once standing liquid is removed using pumps, industry technicians will set up a pattern of air mover fans and dehumidifiers. The fans circulate air around the soaked items, wicking moisture off of them, and the dehumidifier draw moisture out of the air and contains it for disposal. During the drying process, professionals keep track of the progress using moisture meters. Moisture meters use probes to detect the level of moisture in an item so the technician can keep a close eye on how quickly everything is drying.

The drying process takes several days to complete, but once complete the professionals will typically clean the space thoroughly and set it back up in its original state. Then it’s time to install new insulation, baseboards, casings, carpeting and drywall.

The professional’s goal should be addressing the problem as quickly as possible to get the homeowner’s life back to normal.