It can feel devastating when your home suffers from water damage. Cleaning up the damage can seem overwhelming, whether you’re dealing with flooding, storm damage, a burst pipe, or a leak. The most important guideline is to act quickly and call a professional water damage restoration company. The longer you wait to start the water damage cleanup process, the greater the damage your home will suffer. The process generally consists of the following five stages.
1. Assessment
Where possible, remove any furniture and personal belongings from the affected area. Water damage restoration experts will then inspect the damage and use specialist equipment to assess the extent of the contamination. They will first ensure the source of the water ingress has stopped, which might mean turning off the water supply in the house. They’ll use moisture detectors to check how much walls, floors, and ceilings in the affected areas have absorbed the water. An assessor can then give you an estimate of the time frame and cost of the restoration.
2. Water Removal
The longer water is allowed to remain inside a home, the more damage it will cause, ultimately becoming a health hazard to a home’s occupants. The next stage is to remove the surface water. A water remediation specialist will extract the standing water with high-powered vacuums or pumps. At this point, you’ll want to remove any remaining furniture and household items from the affected area. The assessor will conduct further inspections to ascertain residual moisture levels in your home.
3. Drying
With the standing water removed, it’s time to start drying. Heavy-duty drying equipment extracts moisture from materials and dehumidifies the property. The time the drying process takes depends on the extent of the water damage and where it is. The restoration team will monitor the process daily to ensure your home is fully dry.
4. Restoration
When the drying is complete, the restoration of your home can then begin. The extent of the restoration depends on how much severe or permanent damage the water has caused. Simple water restoration could involve cleaning carpets. Lost and significantly damaged areas will be repaired or replaced. In the worst cases, whole areas of the home may require professional remodeling.
5. Cleaning and Sanitizing
After restoration, the final stage of the water damage cleanup is thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing all affected areas and materials. As well as causing structural damage, water is a breeding ground for bacteria, mold, and biological pathogens that can affect your health and cause breathing difficulties in some people.
Water damage restoration experts receive training to sanitize water-damaged areas and items safely. They have specialized cleaning products and protective equipment for tackling even the most hazardous areas, such as where a sewage backup causes damage.
Unless the water issue is a minor one, water damage cleanup is not something that you should attempt yourself. The Steamatic of VA Peninsula water damage restoration professionals have the knowledge, expertise, and equipment to undertake the cleanup process so that you can safely inhabit your home again.
