Water damage comes in many forms: some are incredibly obvious, such as enormous floodwaters after a huge storm, but others are insidious, like a long-running leak that isn’t noticed until there’s already mold brewing. Regardless of the cause or severity of the damage, the steps that an expert home restoration company will take remain the same, each necessary to ensure that you and your family are safe from any contaminants or hidden issues.
There are five stages to the home restoration process, which naturally progress toward a safe and sanitary house that’s ready to welcome you back. To better understand how your water damage restoration company works to protect you and all that you hold dear, let’s look at each stage of the process and consider what’s involved.
Stage One: Safety assessment
Nothing can happen before the restoration company conducts a safety assessment; this includes turning off gas and electricity if necessary, as well as roping off any areas of the home that are not safe to walk across.
They will also don protective gear, such as respirators and boots, whenever they are in the damaged areas so as to keep themselves safe from the contaminants in the air and water.
Stage Two: Moisture removal and drying
Once the experts have given the all-clear to enter the area, they’ll get to work removing all the moisture from the area. This is a multi-step process, starting with standing water; they will remove any pools using pumps, wet vacs, and water extractors. The water will be pumped outside of the home and into the storm drains, where it will be sanitized by the local water treatment facility.
Once all of the water has been removed, the remediation technicians will utilize fans and dehumidifiers to pull out all the remaining moisture from every surface. They may set up plastic sheeting around the area so that the dehumidifiers and fans can perform their work more efficiently, almost like what you would see in a clean room in a movie.
The fans and dehumidifiers they use are much stronger than your average box fan or home dehumidifier; they can be incredibly loud, as they’re extracting large amounts of water from every available surface and circulating enormous gusts to evaporate any remaining moisture.
Step Three: Removal and disinfection
Now that everything is dry, it’s time to examine and sanitize all the surfaces. Anything that cannot be salvaged, such as soaked drywall or carpet, will be removed; this can include furniture, especially upholstered items like couches or chairs. It can be very hard to hear that some of your belongings need to be thrown away, but rest assured that the water damage restoration company is only directing you to do so because these items cannot be safely sanitized and thus will pose a continued risk to your health.
The remaining material will be subjected to a rigorous sterilization process to prevent mold and other infestations. This is especially important if there has been flooding because flood water can contain raw sewage and even toxic runoff from factories, making it incredibly hazardous to your health. The disinfectants they use are incredibly strong, and they vary depending on the materials that are being treated.
Most commonly, water damage restoration companies will use antimicrobial treatments, which combine several different fluids that all work to destroy and inhibit microbes like bacteria and mold. Some of these are enzymatic cleaners, which means that they essentially digest the microbes; others will dissolve organic materials, and still, others will cause the microbes to burst by altering their surface tension.
Step Four: Repairs and restoration
Once everything is clean and all non-salvageable material has been removed, it’s time to get to work repairing the damage. Many water damage remediation companies, such as PacWest Restoration, have a variety of different experts on their team who can address multiple areas of damage, including roofing, siding, and windows, in addition to internal renovations. For those issues that the company doesn’t address, such as plumbing and electricity, they will be able to refer you to competent professionals able to handle the job.
After the exterior has been repaired and any relevant contractors have gotten involved, the restoration begins. Technicians will install new elements, such as drywall, flooring, and baseboards, which they’ll carefully match to the original material. Their work includes painting the walls to match the previous color and installing carpet similar to what was ruined, if relevant.
This can be a difficult process, as they want to create a seamless transition between any remaining material and what they have replaced. Only true professionals can return your property better than before it was damaged, which is why it’s so important that you go with experts rather than simply choosing the cheapest remediation company you can find.
Step Five: Preventative measures
If your water damage was due to something you can control, it’s essential that you find a way to prevent further problems, as otherwise, you’ll find yourself performing this procedure all over again in the future. Your restoration technicians can advise you on what can prevent the problem in the future, such as installing sump pumps, sealing the foundation, improving drainage around the home, or replacing old plumbing that has begun to leak.
A great water damage restoration company wants to ensure that you don’t need their services in the future, as your peace of mind is important to them, so they will do everything possible to ensure that they leave you with a safe, healthy home ready to withstand whatever life throws at it.
Your family’s safety is priceless, so you should always work with the best of the best
No one wants to wake up to a flooded basement, but when trouble hits, you need great professionals who can tackle the entire remediation process. Look for a company with an excellent reputation and plenty of experience in the industry, and ensure that they explain everything to you in a clear, easy-to-understand manner. By working with a team that you can trust, you’ll feel confident that your home will be returned better than ever, ready to keep your family safe for years to come.
