Understandably, people rarely think about water damage restoration until they need it. Water damage can be devasting. It’s not just homes and businesses on the coastline or in a flood plain. Floods destroy homes and businesses yearly all across the U.S., even in areas that have never flooded in the past.
But what about simple everyday floods? Many people need water damage restoration after simple mishaps, such as a toilet overflow, a broken ice maker line, a roof leak, a malfunctioning sump pump or broken water line to the dishwasher.
Every year, for example, we talk to property owners who find the outside hose bib froze and busted during the winter. Unfortunately, they don’t realize it until they use the hose for the first time and find there’s a flooded basement, crawlspace or even a part of the house. Imagine filling a pool or power-washing only to discover water has flooded the inside of the property too!
According to insurance industry research, 14,000 commercial property owners and homeowners in the U.S. experience a water damage emergency each day. That’s a lot of soggy drywall, insulation, flooring and furnishings.
Read this blog to learn about the water damage restoration process. Should you ever need water damage restoration, you’ll be better prepared in case of an emergency. We’ll review the steps to expect from a reputable water damage restoration company.
Water Damage Restoration Step One: Stop the source, call an I.I.C.R.C. certified restoration company.
If possible, stop the source of the water damage. If this cannot be completed inside of the home or building, locate the water shut off valve and turn it off. Call a plumber and advise them you have a water problem and need a repair.
While waiting on the plumber, call a restoration company to respond to your loss. We also recommend you contact your insurance company to start the claim process.
Be advised, in most states YOU CAN CHOOSE THE RESTORATION COMPANY OF YOUR CHOICE! Do not let your insurance company choose for you. Those restoration companies work for the insurance company, not the home or property owner.
Choose someone who works for you, like AMERESTORE. We respond 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Water Damage Restoration Step Two: Extract the water
This is the most important part of the restoration process. To begin the dry out phase of the loss, as much of the water as possible must be removed. The right equipment is critical to extract water from the carpet, pad, tile floors, etc. This is the fastest way to get everything back to the established normal moisture content (dry standard) and to reduce residual loss to the structure and contents.
Short term exposure to water will not destroy carpet. In most instances, carpet can be saved and dried if saturated from a (clean) water source. Long-term exposure, however, can delaminate carpet to the point that it is not salvageable.
Remediation to standing water in a crawl space or basement must be completed carefully. Many of the mechanicals in a building are located there and require special attention. In addition, it’s important to assess insulation, if present, and the structural integrity of the other building materials.
You can count on experienced and reputable restoration specialists like AMERESTORE to provide a thorough assessment. Your restoration company should also handle any necessary demolition. If the water damage is minor, few, if any, repairs will be necessary.
In serious cases, unsalvageable drywall, baseboards and flooring must be removed and replaced/repaired after the completed dry out phase.
Water Damage Restoration Step Three: Dry Out
After water extraction is complete, we establish air movement and dehumidification in the affected space. The type and amount of equipment are established by mathematical formulas according to I.I.C.R.C. (industry) standards. In most cases, daily monitoring takes place throughout the remainder of the dryout until all affected materials have reached the dry standard.
Amerestore also uses tools like moisture meters throughout the process. Initially, to identify levels of affected areas and later to gauge the daily improvement of the drying.
Porous materials, like wood, drywall, carpet and other furnishings may still be heavy with moisture even if they appear dry. It’s important to monitor moisture levels throughout the drying process with moisture meters to know when the structure has returned to normal moisture content. It’s the only way to know if the job is “complete.”
Water Damage Restoration Step Four: Dry out complete, repairs begin.
Once a certified technician determines everything is back to normal moisture content (dry), it is time for repairs. Our team compiles a detailed estimate and sends it to the home or property owner. If you plan to file an insurance claim, Amerestore sends the estimate to your carrier for you. Upon approval of the estimate, work begins to restore the affected areas to pre-loss condition.
When You Need Water Damage Restoration, AMERESTORE is There for You
Regardless of where you live or work, water damage is a risk. Take steps to protect valuables before and after an incident.
For example, if your home suffers major storm damage and it’s uninhabitable, be sure to remove jewelry, money and other valuables.
If you own or operate a business, have an emergency plan for your company’s most valuable assets. For many business owners, it’s IT equipment including computers, servers and proprietary data storage. Prepare plans if the servers go down. If they are located in a basement, they should be elevated. If they are on an upper level, put something over them in case of water damage from above.
For more than 30 years AMERESTORE has provided restoration for water and sewage damage, fire and smoke damage, storm and hurricane damage as well as biohazard/trauma cleanup and mold removal.
Near or far, AMERESTORE performs an exemplary job and acts as your liaison with your insurance carrier. We communicate directly with your insurance adjuster to handle the paperwork so you can focus on recovery. You are never required to use a particular restoration company. Remember, it is always your choice.
Call us for help 24/7. AMERESTORE has three locations serving the Midwest: Indianapolis, Indiana (corporate office), Terre Haute, Indiana, and Louisville, Kentucky. We also travel throughout the U.S. to assist after natural disasters.