There’s this common misconception that all water damage restoration companies do is show up, mop up the water, and leave.
In fact, it’s one of the reasons why some people fail to respond to water emergencies in a timely manner and wait too long to call the experts. They think to themselves: why pay someone to mop up the water when you can do it yourself?
In reality, though, water damage restoration is a complex process that requires knowledge, training, protective gear, industrial-grade equipment and even specialized chemicals. There are also serious health risks that come with it.
That’s why today we want to shed some light on it and share nine things that water damage restoration companies do that you may not be aware of…
# 1: Identifying And Fixing The Cause Of Water Damage
Water damage restoration is defined as the process of restoring the property to its original condition or at least as close to its original condition as possible.
That’s why water damage restoration companies typically have teams that can do everything from plumbing repairs to house repairs to home reconstruction.
When water damage restoration experts arrive on the property, their first priority is assessing the situation, identifying the cause of water damage, and devising a plan for fixing it.
#2: Determining Water Contamination Level And Identifying Potential Health Hazards
Once water damage restoration experts identify the source of the water, they classify it as belonging to one of these three categories:
- Clean water that doesn’t present health risks.
- Contaminated water that presents significant health risks.
- Grossly contaminated water that presents major health risks.
Then, they decide how to proceed based on the water contamination level. Dealing with contaminated and grossly contaminated water requires protective gear.
It’s worth noting that water being clear and not having an odor can be misleading because it can still be contaminated or even grossly contaminated and present the risk of water-borne infections.
That’s why it’s best to leave water damage restoration to professionals who have been trained to navigate these health hazards instead of handling potentially contaminated water yourself!
#3: Mitigating Water Damage By Getting Your Belongings Out Of The Way
Before water damage restoration experts start the restoration process, they do their best to mitigate water damage by salvaging everything that can be salvaged.
Keep in mind that the longer your belongings are exposed to water, the more likely they are to get damaged beyond repair. Getting them out of the way can prevent that from happening and eliminate the need to replace them, potentially saving you a lot of money.
#4: Extracting Standing Water With Specialized Equipment
Standing water can be extremely difficult to deal with if you don’t have the necessary equipment and have to use a simple bucket to remove it.
Plus, doing it that way can take forever if you are dealing with something like a flooded basement, which increases the risk of serious damage to your belongings, as well as to the building itself.
Finally, standing water can be contaminated or grossly contaminated and present health risks.
That’s why water damage restoration experts wear protective gear if they suspect contamination and use specialized equipment to pump the water out as quickly as possible.
#5: Drying The Affected Areas With Specialized Equipment
Once the standing water is removed, water damage restoration experts start drying the affected areas, which goes way beyond just mopping up the remaining puddles.
They use humidity meters, dehumidifiers, air movers, and other tools to ensure that everything is thoroughly dried. This is important because remaining moisture can promote mold growth!
#6: Eliminating Existing Mold Growth With Specialized Anti-Microbial Chemicals
It’s often the case that by the time water damage restoration experts arrive on the property, mold has already started spreading throughout the affected areas.
Fortunately, professionals who specialize in water damage restoration get mold removal and remediation training, so they are prepared to eliminate mold using specialized anti-microbial chemicals.
Mold can wreak havoc on people’s health, especially if the individual is particularly sensitive to it, so it cannot be allowed to spread!
#7: Preventing Future Mold Growth By Sanitizing The Affected Areas
Water damage restoration experts know that even if there’s no visible mold yet, mold spores might still be proliferating due to increased humidity.
That’s why once they are done drying the affected areas, they sanitize them using the aforementioned specialized anti-microbial chemicals just in case.
Once again, mold is a serious health hazard, so it cannot be allowed to spread!
#8: Repairing Structural Damage To The Building
Water can damage the floor, walls, and ceilings of a building, especially in cases of prolonged exposure caused by flooding.
Once that happens, the building becomes unsafe to reside in because its structural integrity has been compromised and it might partially or entirely collapse.
That can be extremely dangerous, especially if the owners of the building don’t realize that it has happened and continue to reside in it.
Once the affected areas are dried and sanitized, water damage restoration experts examine the building for structural damage, work with the owners to create a repair plan, and then start executing it to restore structural integrity.
#9: Remodeling The Water-Damaged Property
Sometimes, the water damage is so bad that the property in question needs a complete makeover to become livable again.
That’s why water damage restoration companies often offer reconstruction and remodeling services!
Our Water Damage Restoration Experts Can Help You Restore Your Property!
We started out nearly 20 years ago as a regional disaster response unit.
Since then, Greenlight Restoration Solutions has grown into a full-service remodeling, remediation, and restoration company.
Water damage restoration is one of our areas of expertise. Whether you are dealing with a minor water event or a full-blown water emergency, we can help you get the situation under control and restore your property!
