After|When} you experience water damage from a leaky pipe, rainstorm or flooding, you certainly need to get things back to normal as soon as possible, most likely you’ll require water damage restoration solutions.
If you are dealing with anything other than a big incursion, you understandably may be considering treating the drying and cleaning yourself to save time or money. The problem is that cleaning up and recovering from water damage is not always as simple as it seems, professional water damage restoration may even help you to save money and effort. This post highlights 3 important things you will need to be aware of when addressing water damage from a small clean water (or Category 1) incursion.
1) Know What You’re Dealing With
If you read our recent article on understanding the risks of water damage, then you know that water damage can be caused by three distinct types of water, including:
Clean water (Category I)
Gray water (Category 2)
Blackwater (Category 3)
It is relevant to realize the differences because Category 2 and Category 3 water present health risks to your family or employees and clients and need to be handled differently. The most likely sources of clean water would be water from a pipe, water heater, steam lines or even rainwater. The basic guideline is that it should look and smell like tap water.
Recovering from Category 2 or Category 3 water damage in Anaheim or significant flooding entails additional considerations that we will not go into in this article, but you can read about in our Quick Guide to Water Damage.
2) Make Sure You Research All of the Damage
The hard thing about recovering from water damage in Anaheim by some thing like a broken pipe or rainwater incursion is that you can typically only observe a small portion of the true damage. The majority of the moisture is frequently concealed in walls, and it’s important to identify and dry all of the affected areas to stop mold.
The methods for managing damage to walls when it comes to water damage restoration are based on the type of materials and also what’s behind those materials. Drywall can often be salvaged when you respond quickly to damage.
You will also need to pull and check your base molding and flooring materials. In case you the floors are carpet, you might have the ability to pull back the moist area and dry it (and the flooring materials with a fan).
3) Establish Adequate Airflow and Maintain the Windows Closed When Drying
As soon as you discover moisture, your first instinct may be to open windows to help with the drying process, but it might not be your best move. For instance, if your building is mechanically ventilated, the programs require continuous pressure levels to operate correctly. You also need to avoid extra coolness or warmth and humidity, or you might end up complicating the drying procedure.
You will typically need one air mover for every 15 — 25 square feet of floor unless the moisture density and load are particularly high, then you may need more. To avoid mold, make sure each one of the materials and layers are dry before putting everything back together.
The Big Dry Out
If you’ve experienced water damage, hopefully, you are dealing with clean water and a small location. No matter which type of water damage you are addressing, if you want more info about water damage restoration, this guide is a good starting point. And if you have any additional questions or want help from professionals of water damage restoration, don’t hesitate to call us.
GETTING A WATER DAMAGE RESTORATION IN ORDER TO AVOID MOLD SCENARIOS IN ANAHEIM
How long does water damage restoration take to complete?
