When you find water damage, no matter how minimal, in your home, there is no time to waste. Therefore, you must take the proper steps for adequate water extraction. When you take these steps, you can limit the damage to your home and ensure safety.
Step One – Stop the Source of the Water
The first step you want to take is to find the source of the water and turn it off. For example, you want to turn off the water valve if the water comes from an overflowing appliance. You can find the main water shutoff outside the building or in the basement or garage in the house.
Step Two – Assess the Area
The next step you want to take is to assess the entire area and situation. You want to look for all damages, safety issues, and health concerns. When standing water comes from a pipe that bursts or floods, it can cause health problems and possible death. When there is a large amount of water, it can destroy or weaken the structural support. This may make the building unsafe. You can assess the security of the building by looking for a sagging, bulging, or swaying roof. You should take a look at the walls to ensure they are straight. Check for cracks near windows and doors or the corners of rooms. You should contact our professional technicians if you see any of these signs of damage. When assessing the damage in your house, you should wear protective footwear, gloves, and a mask to protect yourself.
Step Three – Determine the Type of Water
Depending on where the water is located, you should also turn off the electricity to ensure your home is safe. Once you secure the space, you should look at the water. You want to trace the source to determine in which category the water fits. If the water came from a toilet, brackish stream, or a dangerous source, you want to stay away from it. In addition to determining the water class, you might want to look at how extensive the damage is. When you have standing water on porous material, it quickly becomes class four damage. It is critical to keep in mind that the damage caused by the water may be worse than you see. For example, it may have seeped under floorboards or between walls.
Step Four – Remove All Water
One of the most important steps you will take is getting the water out of the area. Our team utilizes a proper technique to extract water properly. Our technicians wear safety gear and use special equipment like vacuums and submersible pumps. When standing water is extracted from the impacted area, it can stop the damage from spreading, preventing mold from growing. Once the water is extracted, determine if you must remove the carpet and pad to assess the subfloor.
Step Five – Dry the Area
After removing the water, the next step is to dry the walls, floors, and all areas. Removing water from all damaged areas is critical in proper water extraction. It prevents the space from swelling, warping, and mold growth when done correctly. Dehumidifiers and industrial fans are part of the drying process. This equipment eliminates humidity which helps to dry the furniture, drywall, wood, and carpet. Our team uses special instruments to assess the moisture in the walls and floors. Once the humidity is removed, it allows you to salvage as many items as possible. Another crucial part of the drying step is ventilation. Opening doors and windows can help with natural drying when minor damage. This, of course, is only if there is no severe weather or rain. If you have fans, you want to run those, as well.
Step Six – Clean
After the water has been removed and everything is dry, the next step is to clean. This is not a typical amount of cleaning. Using proper cleaning equipment, tools, and techniques would be best. A portable filtration system is also known as an air scrubber. Our professional technician uses this to remove lingering odors. These foul odors often stay behind even after water extraction. Our technicians disinfect and sanitize the area with cleaning products that are industrial grade. They will throw away the damaged items that you should not keep.
Step Seven – Contact Restoration Company
No matter how minimal the commercial water damage may seem, you should contact our professional restoration company to extract the water and restore your home. No matter the water’s category, it can cause extensive damage when it sits. When water sits and is untreated, it can cause mildew, mold, and bacteria to grow. It can also create structural damage or make the damage even worse.
Our professional company takes these steps to remove and protect your home. First, we ensure it is safe and free of water damage. When you contact us to extract the water from your home, it is the best way to save your items so you can get them back. If you get to your items such as photos, books, and papers quickly enough, you may also be able to save them. Standing water can cause more damage the longer it sits. The longer you wait, the more damage the water can do. As soon as you have any water damage, you should immediately turn off the source of the water and then contact us. We respond right away and come to your home to determine the extent of the damage and give you an assessment.
