Owning your own property is something many Americans dream about. Having something of your own is great, but that also comes with certain responsibilities of keeping your property well maintained and in good shape. The upkeep of your home can involve some extensive efforts, especially if it gets affected by water damage and you need to do water damage removal in order to avoid further problems.
Once you notice that you home have suffered such damage, you should immediately contact water damage removal professionals. The services that you will need can vary from water extraction, drying, cleaning or maybe even something more complex like mold removal, sanitation and water damage repairs.
Today, we will go through different steps on what exactly involves water damage removal
Step 1 – Inspection and assessment
At ASAP Restoration, before starting the water damage removal process, we first conduct a through inspection and assessment of your property. Based on these, our experienced technicians can determine the class and category of the water damage, how extensive it is and what would be the best approach to remedy it.
Water damages is measured on a scale from 1 to 3. Category 3 is considered to be the most hazardous.
- Category 1 means that the water damage is caused by clean water
- Category 2 water damage is caused by water from your washing machine or dishwasher. Even though this water is grey, it is still considered as relatively clean
- Category 3 is caused by blackwater, which is the most hazardous, since it can contain pathogens and contaminants that can cause serious diseases.
Depending on how the water damage has affected your property, we classify it from class 1 to class 4. The higher the number, the higher the damage.
- When the water damage is minimal, and it only affects a small part of the house or room, we classify it as class 1. This requires the least water damage removal efforts.
- If an entire room, both carpeting and walls is affected, this is classified as class 2.
- Once the water damage reaches the higher parts of the walls and has potentially affected the ceiling, the damages is classified as class 3.
- And finally, class 4 water damage affects both the stone, hardwood, concrete and all other materials in your home that require special drying.
Through a systematic assessment and evaluation, we will develop an effective water damage removal plan so that it fits your needs.
Step 2 – Moisture and water removal
In key to effective water damage removal is to remove the excess water as soon as possible. Water can penetrate through drywall, carpeting, saturate different parts of your home and cause mold growth.
Water and moisture are removed thanks to powerful water pumps and vacuums. Depending on the amount of water and how big the damage is, our technicians can use different pumps and equipment.
Step 3 – Drying the area
Water is removed with the help of pumps and vacuums. But what about the moisture that’s been soaked up? The next phase in water damage removal is to dry out the entire surface of the property so that there’s no moisture left.
The drying and dehumidifying can take from few days to a few weeks, depending on the amount of water that was removed and the amount of moisture. Homes that have big amounts of concrete, will take longer to dry.
Step 4 – Cleaning and disinfecting
When our technicians are done with drying your home, they will conduct an investigation, looking for mold infestation if there is any. Then they will thoroughly clean and sanitize the surface which includes antimicrobial treatment of all surfaces and furnishings that will be used.
Step 5 – Restoration and repairs
If the water damage has affected some objects in your home, they will need to be removed. If the damage to the building materials is severe, they have to be replaced with new installations. Of course, this isn’t always necessary. Sometimes, when the damage is minimal, the water damage removal process can consist of only drying and cleaning.
No mater if the source of water damage is your dishwasher or something bigger/smaller, every water damage needs to be resolved as soon as possible, in order to avoid further problems.
Without effective water damage removal service, your home can quickly become infested with mold, the structure can weaken and living can become dangerous.
