Water damage can seem like an unsolvable problem when you’re in the midst of it. It can be overwhelming to think about how to restore your home and your life after water has destroyed your furniture, walls and floors. Fortunately, there are professionals out there who specialize in water damage restoration, and they can help with everything from determining whether or not your home is structurally sound to repairing any water damage-related structural problems to getting rid of mold spores that have taken up residence in the air of your home.
Water Damage 101
Don’t try to restore water damage to property on your own. No matter how minor your water problem seems, you should call in a professional. Water is heavy and has a knack for finding even small weaknesses in walls and floors. There might also be mold growing behind growing behind walls or under carpet that can only be detected by a professional in its early stages. Attempting water damage restoration without the help of a professional can lead to much more costly repairs in the long run. Moreover, water-damaged areas need special drying equipment. Asking employees at local hardware stores about water removal equipment isn’t an option; these employees usually have no knowledge about home water damage restoration and will often just sell customers overpriced goods from inventory (such as fans) that won’t do any good if they’re not utilized correctly. If you want to know when and where water extraction should take place, what steps are necessary to prevent mildew growth during cleanup and drying periods, etc., call a water damage expert. These professionals know all there is to know about water damage restoration—from prevention techniques and repair methods all the way through insurance claims; they’re worth every penny.
Just make sure that they come backed by strong references so you don’t end up with a less than qualified company.
How to prevent water damage
Water is a vital part of the ecosystem of the modern home or office. Because of that, water damage can be a possible threat to any building or home. Some of the common causes are broken pipes leaks through a roof or basement wall overflowing sinks and toilets, floods and many other unexpected situations. The best thing to do is to get out in front of these types of issues.
Some of the ways you can prevent water damage is by having your plumbing system checked regularly through water damage inspection. Inspections often reveal rusting pipes that will potentially spring a leak in the future. Plumbers often find that your drain pipes are slowly being clogged by grease and other debris which can eventually backup into your home. A roof inspection can uncover damaged or defective shingles or rotting wood that’s being eaten away by rain water. Before a roof inspection, you should also do your own visual inspection of interior and exterior of your home to be sure that you don’t notice any potential problems.
Diagnosing and treating the Damage
There are several factors involved when trying to get your property restored including assessing what happened; determining how bad things are; drying up things properly without damaging other parts of your house; then replacing any wood, fixtures or other material that got destroyed by water.
If you find that you have water damage you should contact a water damage restoration company as soon as possible because once a structure has been damaged by water it is only going to get worse. The longer you wait, the more money and time you will lose out on getting your home back to normal. First thing you should do is start getting bids from local water-damage companies in your area so that you can go over them and compare prices. You can call some companies or search online for water-damage information or you could contact water damage restoration companies directly.
Once you have found a company to deal with your water-damage problems you should go over all their information and talk to them about how long it will take to complete everything. You should try and get at least 3 estimates because when comparing estimates for something like water-damage restoration cost, there are a lot of variables involved. At first glance it seems like all companies charge roughly around 0-0 an hour, but each company may have different hourly rates for different services.
Some companies might also offer discounts if you pay upfront for 5 or 10 hours which is great, so make sure to ask every company these questions before getting bids from everyone. It is important that you do not let anyone into your home that cannot produce professional looking ID’s or business cards that list a local address and telephone number (cannot be a PO Box). If they cannot provide proof of license than leave immediately without giving any payment information. This goes without saying but make sure they are fully insured!
Why Mold Could Be an Issue
Moister is a natural part of our environment but it’s also the breeding ground for mold. Mold is hard to get rid of. It can be as big an issue as water damage if gone untreated for too long. If you see it on walls or ceilings or other surfaces, it could be an issue for you and your home. If mold has already grown indoors or outdoors call professionals to inspect and treat it immediately. Mold can cause respiratory issues and other illnesses that have lingering effects. It’s definitely something that most people would prefer to stay away from. The underlying message here is that whether you need water damage restoration or mold removal, seek a professional with the skills to get the job done.
