Water damage restoration from Restore Draper involves a wide range of tasks and can be complicated to understand. The goal is to bring a home back to pre-loss condition as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

Mitigation is the first step in this process. It involves reducing the extent of damage by limiting the water’s contact with materials.

Assessing The Damage

If you’ve suffered water damage on your property, a professional must perform a thorough assessment and evaluation of the affected areas. This step is critical to prevent further damage, including mold and mildew.

It also helps to detect any underlying issues that could contribute to future water damage incidents. For example, if you have a hidden leak in the plumbing system, it’s important to fix this right away. This will not only protect the integrity of your property, but it will help you avoid costly repairs in the future.

The water damage restoration process is typically broken down into three phases: assessment, extraction, and drying. The first phase is assessing the damage to determine how extensive the cleanup will be and what materials can be salvaged. A thorough structural inspection is usually performed, as well. This includes checking for any signs of wood rot, rusting, or weakening of load-bearing elements of the structure.

After a detailed assessment of the property, the next step is to extract the water. This is typically done with commercial-grade truck-mounted water extraction equipment. Once all the water has been removed, the drying process can begin. Air movers and dehumidifiers are strategically placed to speed up the drying process, and the moisture levels in the air are monitored with specialized equipment like thermo-hygrometers and thermal imaging cameras.

Drying can be a lengthy process, especially if the affected area is large. In many cases, building materials such as drywall down to the studs, carpeting and carpet padding, and insulation will need to be removed and discarded. During this time, antimicrobials are often applied to the affected areas to inhibit microbial growth and kill any bacteria or viruses that may be present.

Extraction

When water damage occurs, the first step of restoration is to locate and stop the source. This may be as simple as turning off the main water valve to a home, or it could require a more involved search to find the origin of an underground pipe that has burst. Once the source is found, a restoration company will be able to begin assessing and repairing the damaged areas of a building.

The second step of a restoration company’s work is to remove any standing water from the area that has been affected. This is a critical step because the longer that excess water remains in a building, the more damage it can cause. It also creates ideal conditions for bacterial growth that can pose serious health risks for occupants.

A restoration team needs to use special tools and equipment during this phase of the work. These items include high-powered pumps, air movers, and dehumidifiers that will help eliminate moisture from the building and dry it out. This can drastically reduce the time that it takes for a building to be fully restored, and it is an important aspect of ensuring the success of the entire restoration process.

This is also an important time for the restoration team to check for any safety hazards that are present in the building. This includes checking for tripping and electrical hazards, such as unprotected outlets or wet flooring. These issues should be addressed promptly by the restoration team, as they can pose serious risks to the occupants of a property. It is also important for the team to take this opportunity to shut off any electricity in an affected area, as it can prevent additional damage and protect the integrity of a building’s structure.

Drying

Once the standing water has been extracted and any electrical hazards have been addressed, professional technicians perform a more detailed inspection to determine if additional elements need to be removed or whether the space is ready for the drying stage. Since wet materials start developing problems like mold within 24 hours, the drying process must begin quickly.

To speed up the drying process, specialized equipment like vapor barriers and dehumidifiers are used to reduce the amount of moisture in the air. This helps prevent microbial growth, which is necessary to protect the integrity of the structure and ensure that all areas are dry and safe for occupants.

Additionally, portable fans are a great way to increase ventilation and speed up the drying process. They are especially useful for hard-to-reach spaces, like under cabinets or in closets. Many water damage restoration professionals also use downdraft fans, which are more powerful and create a strong downward draft that rapidly removes moisture from walls, floors, and ceilings.

Another tool used to identify the extent of water damage is a moisture meter, which uses radio waves to scan walls for moisture without drilling holes in the structures. It can find moisture in gypsum wallboard, wood framing, fibrous insulation, and concrete masonry units. These tools allow technicians to identify wet porous materials and then treat them with specialized dryers.

A final category of water damage, known as blackwater, is any wastewater that has been contaminated with bacteria, chemicals, or other harmful contaminants. This is typically a result of a backflow issue that’s discovered during an inspection for another problem. This type of water damage is considered an emergency and requires immediate action from a qualified professional to avoid potential health risks for the home’s occupants.

Sanitizing

After the water has been extracted and the affected area is dried, it’s time to sanitize. This step focuses on removing any contaminants left behind on the affected surfaces and addressing any potential health risks associated with the incident that led to the water damage. For example, if the water damage was caused by a sewer backup, it’s important to take care of any bacteria and mold spores that may be present.

During the sanitizing and deodorizing process, professionals will use a variety of techniques to ensure everything is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. This includes using ozone generators, vapor barriers, and other methods to deodorize and decontaminate the entire space. Once the cleaning and sanitizing are completed, it’s time to move on to the restoration stage.

Once the space has been sanitized, it’s time to replace any materials that have been damaged or destroyed. This can include replacing carpet, drywall, trim, flooring, and even paint. It’s also a good idea to replace any appliances that have been damaged by the water. This will ensure that you have a safe and functional space once the reconstruction is complete.

Water damage can be incredibly devastating to your property. It’s important to contact a professional as soon as possible. If you wait to call a company, the water can lead to more serious problems, such as wood rot or metal corrosion. It can also lead to the growth of bacteria, mildew, mold, and more. This can cause severe health problems for you and your family or employees. For this reason, it’s important to call a company as soon as you notice any damage. They’ll work quickly to extract the water, and dry and sanitize the affected areas.

Restoring

When all the standing water has been extracted, it’s time to begin restoring the affected areas. This will involve removing all contents, such as furniture and personal belongings, from the affected area and safely storing them. After this, any damaged materials such as drywall, insulation, carpet, and flooring are removed and discarded. This step is important to help prevent the development of mold and bacteria that can be caused by wet, porous building materials.

It is also a good idea to document any items that were in the affected areas, as this will be helpful when it comes to filing an insurance claim. The water damage restoration company should work closely with you, your insurance agent, and the adjuster to ensure that everything is documented properly.

Depending on the severity of the damage, certain materials may need to be removed before drying can take place. This includes removing drywall down to the studs, low to medium-density trim boards, and carpet padding. This will help speed up the drying process and allow the restoration company to move on to the next step.

In some cases, the damage from a flood can be so severe that it requires additional repairs, such as roof repair, drywall repair, floor repair, and repainting. The water restoration company will either oversee or carry out these repairs to restore the building to its pre-loss condition.

Water damage restoration is a complicated process, but property owners must get the restoration started as soon as possible to minimize damage and protect against mold and other health issues. If the water damage is not restored quickly, wooden parts of a structure will start to rot and metal items will rust.