Pipes burst, sinks flood, roofs leak, and toilets back up. It might be annoying, but it’s a part of life for homeowners. Once you experience water damage, it’s essential to clean up quickly to stop mold and structural decay.
Water mitigation and restoration are the two parts of the process to return your property to its original, pre-water damage condition. It might sound simple enough, but it’s much more involved than a few paper towels and a fan.
Water Mitigation vs. Restoration
Water mitigation and water damage restoration are two sides of the same coin. Basically, mitigation is limiting the impact of the loss, and restoration is rebuilding. Once water damage has occurred, you should hire a water mitigation team to come in and professionally remove the water, any damaged material and dry the affected area.
Trained professionals will perform a thorough inspection of your home. Depending on the level of damage, services could range from simply drying with dehumidifiers to more extensive techniques involving extraction of standing water, removal of furniture and affected surfaces like baseboards, flooring, drywall, cabinets and other building materials.
Once the water and damaged materials have been removed, the water mitigation team will clean and sanitize the area to help prevent mold and bacteria from developing. They might also set up dehumidifiers, fans, air scrubbers and other specialty equipment to decrease moisture levels and remove mold and other contaminants from the air.
Water Restoration
Water damage restoration occurs after the area has been dried and cleaned and is what brings your home back to its former glory. It’s the rebuilding of everything that was irreplaceably damaged by the water. The extent of the restoration necessary depends on the amount of damage sustained. It could be as simple as rehanging cabinet doors or as complicated as rebuilding entire rooms.
Water mitigation alone doesn’t return your home to a livable condition; it limits damage. To truly reverse the effects of water damage, you need water restoration services as well.
The Process of Water Damage Restoration
Once your home has been thoroughly cleaned, the restoration crew can repair the damage following these steps:
- Inspect the area – The water restoration crew will go through your home and jot down notes, take pictures, and make logs of the damage. Not only will this give the team an idea of what they need to do, but it’ll also help with your insurance claim down the road.
- Repair damage to the roof – One of the most common causes of water damage is a leaky roof. It’s important to stop the leak to prevent any more damage to your house’s lower levels, so that’s typically the first step for the water restoration team.
- Mold elimination – The next step is to eliminate any mold that has already appeared. Not all mold can be removed by the cleansing agents in the water mitigation stage. Sometimes, it needs to be physically taken out. This could include subfloors, support beams, rafters, and/or drywall.
- Repair or replace the damage – Once the mold and water are gone, it’s time to rebuild. All the damaged parts of your home will be replaced to bring it back to its pre-damaged condition. This could include anything from aesthetic features like carpet and furniture to structural elements like the subfloor and support beams.
This is the most intensive part of water damage restoration and can sometimes take weeks or even months, depending on the severity of the condition.
Hire a Professional for Water Mitigation and Restoration
It might be tempting to attempt to clean and repair water damage yourself, but it’s not usually the best course of action. Water damage is tricky, and if you’re not a trained professional, you might miss some of the places that water likes to hide. That leftover moisture will encourage the growth of mold and bacteria, which can be harmful to your family’s health, and lead to structural damage.
The water restoration process can also be dangerous. If you don’t know what you’re doing, removing chunks of your home’s structure could cause more damage than the water, not to mention the dangers of falling boards and debris. Plus, dealing with mold can be hazardous to your health as well.
In the end, it could end up costing you more—hurting both your wallet and your health—than if you just hired a professional in the first place.
CFRS: The Water Damage Restoration Experts
When it comes to your home, only the best will suffice. If you ever experience water damage, trust the professionals at Central Florida Restoration Solutions. We have over 25 years of experience serving homes in Central Florida, responding to water, mold, fire, and smoke damage. With over 900 happy customers and 18 industry certifications, we’re the experts to help you in your time of need. Get your life back to normal and contact CFRS today.
