Why Calling the Professionals is Your Best Move When it Comes to Water Damage

9/15/2017 (Permalink)

Why Calling the Professionals is Your Best Move When it Comes to Water Damage

Together with fire and storm damage, water damage is one of the leading causes of property losses in the United States. Each year, tens of billions of dollars in damages occur at private residences and businesses due to flood damage. This makes it crucial for the public at large to understand the proper steps to take in case of a flood damage event, when hours and days can often spell the difference between a relatively inexpensive recovery and a total write off of the property.

Fortunately, there are many professional restoration companies throughout the United States that have the expertise, manpower and equipment to properly handle any water damage event. Almost every town in America has a professional restoration company. And the first thing that any property owner should do when facing potential water damage is to call in the professionals.

Let's take a closer look at the process that a property owner can expect their local professional restoration company to follow whenever they have been called in for the restoration or mitigation of water damage.

When flood damage occurs, make the call!


It almost cannot be emphasized enough that attempting to handle the restoration and mitigation of flood damage by oneself is almost always the wrong choice. It is crucial to call your local restoration company as soon as water in your home or water in your business that may potentially lead to flood damage is noticed.

Upon receiving the call about a flooded home or business, the restoration company will send a team of water damage restoration and mitigation specialists to the site of the flooded home or business. The water cleanup team will typically arrive within 30 minutes of the call being received and will immediately begin mitigation efforts.

The team will go directly to the source of the original pipe break or supply line break and will shut off any active leak. They have the tools and training necessary to quickly stop the flow of water, even if this means that emergency welding or pipe cutting needs to take place at the site of the pipe break or supply line break.

The team will also note the level of flood water in the business or water in the home. They will classify the water and form a plan to remove it as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Large-scale removal of standing water


Next, the water cleanup team will begin the removal of all standing water in the business or water in the home. With the use of specialized vacuum equipment, that can removed up to 2,000 gallons of water from a flooded home or business each hour, the team will be able to remove all water in the home or water in the business. This process will typically take less than one hour.

The water cleanup team will begin thoroughly drying the property


The water cleanup team will then begin the drying process. This will be carried out with industrial-strength drying equipment and dehumidifiers, the latter being able to bring the ambient humidity down to nearly zero percent. Special care will be taken to make sure the area around the original supply line break or pipe break is completely free of moisture. Even areas around the pipe break or supply line break that are invisible to the eye will be completely dried through the use of equipment that can raise ambient temperatures to near the flashpoint of the materials being dried.

The drying process may take anywhere from a couple hours to an entire day. When this step is complete, the flooded home or business will appear to be restored.

The final cleansing


The final step in the damage mitigation process is to thoroughly cleanse all furniture, surfaces and fixtures that have come into contact with flood water. At this point, the property will be restored to its original condition.
Visit http://www.SERVPROscottsdale.com for more information on water damage.