What Is Water Damage Restoration?

May 24 2017

Water damage restoration is the process of repairing your home after water has leaked or flooded into it. Water damage can occur from a variety of causes, such as flooding from heavy rains, or even frozen burst pipes.

Because water damage is such a common occurrence, is it that important to get a professional to do proper repairs? You might be surprised to find that professional water damage restoration is more than just putting a towel on water. In fact, professional flood remediation service is quite an involved process.

When you call a restoration company to restore your home after it’s been damaged by water, there are a number of steps you can expect:

1. Open Your Insurance Claim

As the homeowner you’ll first have to open the insurance claim. While you’re waiting for the insurance adjuster and restoration company to arrive, take as many pictures of the damage as possible.

You should also take steps to prevent the damage from getting worse, whether it’s shutting off the water (if it’s safe) or putting a bucket underneath a leak in your ceiling. Preventing further damage can save you money, as it can prevent damage and prove to the insurance company that proper steps were taken to keep damage down.

2. Assess the Damage.

Before restoration companies even start cleaning up the water, they first will assess the damage and provide a quote on the estimated cost.

If you’re dealing with a leaky ceiling, a restoration company can help determine whether it’s caused by an leaky roof or a burst pipe. From there, it allows them to take the right steps to safely repair the damage and more importantly, make sure it doesn’t happen again.

There are three types of water that can impact your home, and knowing each one can help you determine what actions to take next. The three types are:

Clean water
Gray water
Black water

You can learn more about the different types of water and what you should do after a water disaster. Check it out!

3. Stop the Source of Water Damage

Before any cleanup starts, the water is first stopped. If it’s a burst pipe, the water is turned off. If the roof was damaged this can stop any further damage from happening to your home during the restoration process.

4. Remove Furniture and Affected Property

Anything that was damaged by the water should be removed from the room to dry it out as much as possible and prevent further damage from occurring during the drying process. Water-damaged wood can be saved sometimes, but it has to be dried quickly.

Some rugs, couches, and fabrics may not be salvageable and must be replaced. It’s also important to get any books or paper out of the room and drying as soon as possible.

5. Use Specialized Equipment to Remove Water

Restoration companies use a variety of equipment to not only remove the water but also make sure mold can’t grow. Some of the more common types of equipment include:

Air Movers

Restoration companies may use what are essentially commercial-strength fans to keep the air in your home moving. These air movers remove the musty smell, prevent mold, and make the drying process go much faster.

Dehumidifiers

Mold thrives in humid environments, which is why it’s so important to use a dehumidifier for extensive water damage. Once all the water is removed, a dehumidifier is used to keep the moisture levels down and mold out.

It’s important to act fast and dry your home as quickly as possible because mold can start growing from water damage in as little as 24 hours.

6. Carpet and Sheetrock Are Removed and Replaced.

If water seeps deep enough into carpet, it can be extremely hard to dry and prevent mold growth, so it may need to be replaced. Even if there appears to be no mold on the surface, a good restoration company will remove and replace the materials anyway to make sure your home stays structurally sound.

Installing new carpet or sheetrock in an area that’s been damaged by water and not properly dried creates a high risk of wood rot or other structural issues.

Instead of calling another company to reinstall your flooring or walls, a full-service restoration company can take care of it all. You don’t have to hire different companies to get your home looking brand new. Rapid Restoration is proud to offer carpet cleaning services.

Be Prepared in the Case of an Emergency

If you want to make sure you’re prepared in the case of a water emergency, it’s important to know the right steps to take. We have a number of resources you can follow, so you can feel confident you’re taking the right steps if your home ever gets damaged by water. Want something you can print out? Download our free emergency guides!

Download Guides

Are You Faced With a Water Emergency?

Call Rapid Restoration as soon as possible! As a full-service restoration company, we can take care of it all, from cleanup to reinstalling flooring and carpet. Plus, we work with any insurance company, making it easy to make the most out of your water disaster.