Water Damage Restoration Success Factors There are many factors that influence the success of water damage restoration. While some of the factors are beyond your control, the majority of them are things that you have a say in. You may not be able to control if your house floods, but how quickly you respond and what kind of insurance you have are up to you. Success Factors Include: 1. How Quickly You Respond Like a cavity or an overdue bill, water damage is something that only gets worse the longer you avoid dealing with it. If you suspect you have a leak, don’t try to put it out of your mind. Bite the bullet and investigate! If you do, the sooner you react the better the odds for water damage restoration success! When water is allowed to sit, the damage gets worse. It penetrates deeper into your walls, ceiling, and flooring. Drying the outside of a water damaged wall isn’t enough; you need to be sure that all the moisture from inside is dry as well! Dampness encourages the growth of mold. Mold can eat away at your possessions, leaving them stained and smelly. This damage is much harder to restore than a bit of water. 2. The Type of Water While no water damage is good, some kinds of water damager are worse. If there’s any kind of water damage that you “want”, it’s clear water from a known source. If your kitchen pipes burst, that’s a much easier water damage restoration project than cleaning a sewage leak or a “grey water” or potentially contaminated water leak. The more hazardous the water is, the more complex your restoration project will be. Some items will have to be thrown away if they cannot be properly restored. 3. Your Insurance Type Your insurance will determine how you can respond to a situation. Remember: flood insurance is not included in home insurance. If you’re not sure where you are on a flood plain, it’s more than worth it to get your home assessed. Getting the right flood insurance for your property could be the difference between a struggle and a disaster. 4. Your Insurance Documentation Lastly, how thoroughly you document your destruction will affect how difficult it is for you to file a claim and get it processed. Take plenty of pictures and even video with a camera. A smartphone is better than nothing! It’s better to have too many pictures than too few. The more proof you have, the more quickly your claim can be processed and your restoration work paid for. Water damage restoration success factors boil down to being prepared in many cases. Having the right insurance, taking the right steps, and knowing what to do when disaster strikes greatly increase your odds of success. While the type of damage is out of your hands, the other factors are in your court. Take the time to prepare to defeat water damage.
Fire Damage: An Unexpected Cause of Water Damage Fire damage causes water damage When asked to think of water damage, most people think first of a flood and then of a dishwasher or toilet overflowing. While appliances, plumbing, and floods are all common causes of water damage, fires actually play a bigger role than most people think. Even minor fire damage can lead to huge amounts of water damage. This is why damage caused by a fire doesn’t end with soot and burns. Cleaning up water often isn’t first priority Fire damage often overshadows the water damage that occurs after the fire. The first priority after a fire is for the restoration crew to make sure the house is still structurally sound. If parts of the house have burned away, getting those areas covered takes precedence. Water and fire retardant chemicals used to douse the flames often stand stagnant while other repairs happen. This is an unfortunate circumstance. Fire damage restoration companies have to make the choice of what to focus on first. For them, reducing the risk of your house caving in, tops that list,and means water damage is the least of your problems. Unfortunately, if left unattended, water damage only worsens. Water left after fire can be dangerous Water damage in the wake of a fire is also worse because the water is typically contaminated. The water has mixed with soot, ash, and possibly chemicals. Pure water quickly becomes hazardous after a fire. Heated bottles can explode, spreading dangerous chemicals into the water and through your home. This kind of fire damage leads to water that’s unsafe for humans to handle. This makes the water damage restoration process more complicated and more expensive. You may have to replace furniture, carpets, and wallpapers. As a result, some families have to give up everything. Moving forward, restoration companies employ caution. Some furniture can be restored. On the other hand, different people have different priorities. The same items hold different values. You can work with your fire damage experts to save what matters to you. Once a house is safe, you can take what you need from it. One restoration company makes things easier If possible, get your fire damage restoration services and your water damage restoration services from the same company. When you work with just one company, you enable them to prioritize the damage. Once the initial fire damage restoration assessment has happened, they can do what they can to minimize the risks of worsening water damage. This probably involves switching between tasks. Once cleanup has begun, restoration companies prioritize water damage. Cleaning up soot and replacing carpet is important, but not as pressing as stopping the spread of mold. As you can see, fire damage is a terrible disaster for a homeowner. The fire damage to a home’s structure and furnishings compounds with the damage caused by the water used to save it from the flames. Mold, bacteria growth, and the spread of chemicals through the house is aided by the water. Due to the complications, many homeowners seek specialists. Fire damage restoration and water damage restoration go hand in hand. This is why you should find one experienced restoration team to handle both for you.
Toilet Overflow Issues – Oh No! Did you know that most toilet bowls are designed to hold all the water in the tank without spilling over? Even so, toilet overflow is actually a common problem. Watching the water in your toilet bowl continue to rise can be disconcerting, dreadful, and even disgusting. If you’re one of the unlucky ones having to deal with overflowing water all over your bathroom floor, you need to address the problem immediately, before the matter becomes more troublesome or even hazardous. Water leaking from a toilet can lead to damage to the floor, subfloor, and nearby cabinets—and possibly leak through ceilings and walls—not to mention injuries from slips and falls. Reasons Why a Toilet Overflows A clog is the most common reason for toilet overflow issues. The best way to avoid clogs is to never attempt to flush any object down the toilet that is not intended to be flushed, such as disposable diapers or feminine hygiene products. Take care to keep the lid down when the toilet is not in use to prevent items from falling in by accident or to prevent toddlers from dropping their favorite stuffed animal in the water. In some instances, you can remedy a clog yourself by using a liquid drain opener and a plunger. If plunging the toilet doesn’t help, or if you think faulty plumbing is the cause, contact a professional plumber. A plumber will use specialized equipment such as a snake to reach clogs that are further down in the plumbing system. How to Clean Up an Overflowing Toilet If the overflow requires only minimal cleanup, be sure to wear gloves to stay sanitary and mop up water right away with soap and disinfectant. Wash soiled clothing and towels in hot water to thoroughly disinfect them. A more serious overflow, especially one resulting from a sewage backup requires professional cleanup. And, improperly treated or reoccurring water damage can also cause a buildup of mold or mildew, potentially causing serious respiratory problems. Call a water damage restoration and repair specialist, as they will have the proper equipment and products to handle all cleanup and sanitization, and also address any water damage to your floors, subfloors, and walls caused by the overflow. As a preventative measure, keep your toilet sanitary and clog-free with regular cleanings to ward off disease-causing bacteria and germs. It’s helpful to have your septic tank cleaned every eight to ten years, too, as sewer line back-ups can result in toilet backup and overflow. When choosing a water damage restoration specialist, make sure you hire qualified, IICRC-certified professionals. The experts at the DC-area Water Damage Team possess the skills, experience, and credentials you need to get the job done right. With 24-hour service from Pennsylvania to the Baltimore and Washington, DC, areas, to Virginia and North Carolina, they are available to get started on your water damage cleanup request in 60 minutes or less. Call the Water Damage Team today at 877-503-8782 for a free estimate.
What You Should Know about Water Damage Restoration Companies If your residential or commercial property has sustained water damage, regardless of the source, you will want to use the services of a professional water damage restoration company. A water damage restoration company takes all the necessary steps to restore your property to its pre-water-damage condition according to proven and reliable restoration standards. Cleaning and disaster restoration trade associations, insurance companies, scientists, equipment manufacturers, and others have contributed to the development of the standards of care employed today by most water damage restoration companies. The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) sets the standards and provides certification in those standards for those in the cleaning and restoration industries. A reputable water damage restoration company will perform the following steps: Isolate and repair the source of the water entry into the home or commercial building. Assess the full loss of property using industry standard pricing guidelines to ensure a complete and proper evaluation of the damaged or lost home or business items, materials and structure. Inspection of the affected area with appropriate equipment – this serves to determine the source of the water and extent of the damage. Fully extract water and moisture from the property. Sanitize, treat, and deodorize all affected areas, property, and materials. Follow up as necessary to reevaluate the property for dryness; retreat and new or recurring damaged areas. Water damage is no more a trouble Water damage restoration experts will professionally categorize the type of water into one of three categories, depending on the level of contamination present in the water onsite. They will also classify water damage into one of four categories, depending on the actual amount of water, how much water has been absorbed, and how much evaporation has taken place. Lastly, they will take into consideration the contents of your home or business, and determine what must be cleaned, sanitized, deodorized, dried, and even stored offsite. Choose the best water damage restoration experts! When choosing a water damage restoration specialist, make sure you hire qualified, IICRC-certified professionals. Look for all equipment to be properly maintained and in good working order. Ensure the company’s technicians will return at regular intervals to monitor the drying status and rearrange drying equipment as necessary until the area is thoroughly dried. The experts at the DC-area Water Damage Team possess the skills, experience, and credentials you need to get the job done right. With 24-hour service from Pennsylvania to the Baltimore and Washington, DC, areas, to Virginia and North Carolina, they are available to get started on your water damage cleanup request in 60 minutes or less.