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Essential Aspects Of The Storm Damage Restoration Process
5/8/2017 (Permalink)
Essential Aspects Of The Water Damage Restoration Process
Water damage mitigation pertains to restoring properties like house furniture, equipment, and fixtures to their original state. Although most of us prepare for disasters that could happen like in the case of flood damage, we cannot prevent water from entering the house especially if the whole town or community is sunken in water by a storm. The same applies to damages caused by water in business establishments.
It is not just due to flood damage. Broken water pipes or sewers that overflow can likewise accumulate and destroy properties and can cause massive flooding of water in business properties too. Water in home destroys appliances, carpets, cabinets, carpets and other fixture that is in the house. Replacing these items after they have been damaged by the water could spell financial disaster since you already have invested in them. Hence water damage restoration is needed in order not to lose much on invested properties and possessions.
The water cleanup process is not only cleaning and drying the items or properties that were affected by the water in home. While most water situations are best left to the professional cleaners and restorers, it is still best to know what to do if in case the professionals are not around yet or if widespread losses due to storms mean you cannot find one to do the job immediately.
The following are the general steps to follow:
Make an initial assessment of the property that has been damaged.
Look for a way to reduce the quantity of water in home and water in business establishments and make every possible way to remove the water.
Ventilate the damaged area with fans, dehumidifiers, and open windows to provide air flow that would help in drying the place out.
Put appliances, furniture, and fixtures in another place not damaged by the water so the floors could dry faster.
Dispose of things that you will not use or need anymore. This is to reduce the quantity of items that you have to put back after the water cleanup. It will also be an effective way to provide space for the remaining possessions in the house.
Should the water mitigation professionals arrive, give them leeway to do their water cleanup job since it is their area of expertise. Try to tag along with them as they are doing their water cleanup so you could get a first-hand knowledge of what to do next time the same problem occurs.
Implementing the following principles of water damage restoration may help make the task more organized:
Stabilize - make sure that the area is secure or safe and the source of water in home or water in business properties has been permanently stopped.
Clean - any debris and accompanying dirt should have been removed thoroughly when the water has been fully stopped.
Disinfect - storm water and other sources of flood which entered the house and damaged properties and possessions are contaminated and dirty. Thus, a disinfecting procedure must be administered to remove germs and bacteria that may cause or be a source of infection.
Dry - this is the primary reason for having a water damage restoration and mitigation solution. All items that undergo restoration should end up dry because there is no point in restoring something without this result.
Repair - when everything that was damaged by the water has been totally dried, repair is necessary to restore the furniture and fixture to its original state.
Removing any remaining pathogenic spores is necessary when doing water damage mitigation. This is especially crucial for homes affected by flood damage. Wipe all affected areas and surfaces with the disinfectant as this would also help reduce the stale or sour odor. Then dry the area by putting in fans and turning on dehumidifiers. Use an air filter to capture any lingering foul smell. The drying process normally takes a week or more, depending on the size of the area that you are drying and the weather.
Take time to go through the items which you removed from your house to see which appliances, furniture, and fixtures that you could use again and dispose of the others that could no longer be restored. The salvaged items from a flood damage must also be disinfected by wiping a disinfectant solution on the items with a clean cloth. Then allow these items to dry the area from where it came from. Re-occupation and re-using of all flood-affected properties and items must only be done when everything is completely cleaned and dried. Visit http://www.