Water Damage Repair
You would think that water damage repair would be a fairly simple process. After all, you wipe up the water, lay a towle down over whatever's left and that's it, right?
Well, maybe so for smaller spills, like a glass of water. But when you consider major problems like a burst pipe in your bathroom, a flash flood in your neighborhood, or a backed up sewer that empties any and all manner of, um, "goodies" into your home, it becomes a whole 'nother ballgame. Believe it or not, water damage can actually be more destructive to a home or business than a fire!
The reason is simple.....where a fire does it's damage right away, water does its initial damage, and then there are the aftereffects, issues that, if not treated properly, can be fruitful and multiply, causing numerous additional problems and adding thousands of dollars to the repair costs.
If you're reading this while standing ankle deep in water in what used to be your family room......turn off the electricity! Water and electricity do not mix. Not even a little bit.
You'll want to begin by moving all furniture and loose items out of the damaged area. These can be cleaned up and repaired elsewhere and won't hinder the water extraction process.
Then you will need to extract the water and remove it from the premises. Water extraction and removal is a long process that involves removing the excess through use of wet-dry vacs or heavy duty pumps. Once that is done, you will still need to remove the remaining moisture from carpets, hardwood flooring, drywall, and any other surfaces. This is done through the use of high velocity fans, air movers, and dehumidifiers, placed strategically around the damaged area. They should be moved periodically to insure complete coverage of the area. It may take up to several days to thoroughly dry all surfaces.
You'll want to now clean and disinfect all carpets, drywall, and flooring, as well as check basements and crawlspaces for remaining water. Dark, damp places are a breeding ground for mold, which can relase toxins into the air causing health issues from mild allergic reactions to lung disease and even death. Mold remediation is a difficult process and should be handled by a professional.
Once all surfaces have been dried out, you can begin to ascertain what sorts of structural repairs are required.
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