If water invades your home or business, the consequences can be devastating. Not only can water cause structural damage, but it can also harm your health. Fortunately, there’s a solution – water damage restoration. Water damage restoration can return your home or business to its previous state before the damage. That said, here are the steps taken during the water damage restoration process:
Inspection and Assessment
First, water damage restoration experts will visit your home to check the type of water damage and its extent. They’ll use specialized equipment like moisture detectors and hygrometers to determine how much damage has been done. This will help them to decide the course of action that needs to be taken. After the inspection, the water damage inspector will provide you with a rough estimate of the time and cost to restore your home or business.
Water Removal
Next, if there is standing water in the affected areas, it will be removed. Standing water impedes the restoration process, and it can worsen the damage. Thus, it must be removed immediately. Typically, water restoration professionals use extractors to get rid of standing water. Extractors are usually powerful pumps and vacuums that absorb standing water. After the water removal process, further inspections may happen to ascertain whether extra measures like removing flooring are necessary.
Drying and Dehumidification
After the standing water is removed, the professional will begin the drying and dehumidification process. Water removal doesn’t eliminate all the moisture. Thus, drying and dehumidification are performed to draw out any water that wasn’t eliminated during the removal process. This stage is essential to prevent odors and the growth of mold on surfaces like carpets.
Cleaning and Sanitizing
Water damage doesn’t only affect your home’s structure. It also affects other items like furniture and clothing. Professional restoration companies work towards restoring these items too. At this stage, restoration professionals will use specialized cleaning methods to return items to their previous state. With your approval, damaged items may also be discarded at this stage.
Restoration
The last stage involves returning your home or business to its previous state before the water damage occurred. The restoration process may be straightforward or complex, depending on the severity of the damage. While minor damage may require simple repairs like drywall repair, major damage may require more complex repairs such as rebuilding entire sections of your home or business.
Water damage can have serious consequences if it isn’t dealt with immediately. Deal with it by hiring a professional restoration company. They will have all of the right tools and knowledge to help prevent further water damage in your home. Sometimes you don’t have the time or energy to handle it yourself, since there are many steps to proper water cleanup.