The water damage restoration procedure starts with the water damage mitigation contractor. A mitigation company is sometimes referred to as a “restoration first responder”. It arrives on the scene to assess the property, contain and prevent further damage, and extract any standing water from the property so that restoration can begin. It’s worth noting that many water damage mitigation companies work independently of water damage restoration firms, but often the same company will perform both services.
After water extraction and removal, the next phase of a water damage restoration job is cleaning and drying. Here’s how it typically goes.
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Extra water extraction
If necessary, the process may involve renting portable extractors to remove excess water from the carpet, if the carpet can be salvaged. In other cases, it may be more cost-effective to discard and replace the carpeting.
Demolition and removal of debris
Removal of certain building materials may be required to dry out a water-damaged property. Removal of drywall down to the studs and carpeting will expose wall cavities and subflooring, respectively. This can result in a more efficient overall drying process. If no structural damage occurred, restoration companies can typically skip this step and move on to drying out the property.
End drying
After that, your contractor will strategically arrange air movers and dehumidifiers to help dry out the property and remove moisture from the air. With a proper drying plan, it is not uncommon for a property to dry out in just a few days.
Antibacterial agent application
In some instances of water damage, fungal and mold growth may be a concern. It can take as little as 24 hours for mold to begin growing in such circumstances, so if restoration professionals believe the presence of mold is likely, they may choose to apply antimicrobials to prevent its growth or eradicate existing spores.
Content restoration
Although any type of property damage has the potential to ruin certain belongings, contents restoration technologies have advanced to a point today where many items are also salvageable. The contents pack out process begins when a restoration company removes saveable contents such as textiles, clothes, hard goods, photos, electronics and more, and takes them off site to restore. However, not each object can be salvaged, yet a lot can.
Reconstruction and restoration
After the water has been removed from your home, the restoration process may involve moisture testing to verify dryness and then construction services to rebuild what was damaged or destroyed. A full-service restoration company will help you through this entire process.
