One of the worst nightmares for any homeowner Wasserschadensanierung is the realization that he or she suddenly has the need for water damage remediation work. Water is obviously a critical substance for so many reasons, but it can also be incredibly ruinous to a home if it's allowed to exist and persist in its normal state in the wrong locations. One of those locations is in and under a floor, especially a floor that's carpeted. If you discover that water could be inflicting harm on your home, you have no time to waste before starting the necessary water damage remediation work to protect your lifelong investment. Below are a few tips for water damage remediation and prevention.
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Check for Potential Problems
In terms of preventing water damage, the first step that any homeowner should take is to check any and all locations in the home where water could leak. No leak, no matter how small, should ever be dismissed, as over time water will begin to build up in places where it can lead to expensive damage.
Common areas in a home that need to be checked include all faucets, all areas where plumbing exists and all bathrooms where tubs and toilets are found. In addition, connections that include those to washing machines and water heaters should also be thoroughly inspected regularly. If you find a potential leak and you're not sure it can be easily repaired, seek the help of a professional before you encounter the need for full water damage remediation work.
Deal with Water Damage Remediation Immediately
If you do discover water damage in your home, there are steps you can take to reverse the process, but you need to be sure that those steps are not only proper but effective. For instance, if water leaks onto a carpeted floor, simply steam-cleaning the carpet will not be enough to prevent additional damage.
Not only must the source of this water be handled properly, but water will leak under floorboards and the like, and a simple carpet cleaning will not reverse the process of mold forming and other damage unfolding. Instead, seek the help of those who can come to your home, assess the damage, provide you with insight as to what needs to be fixed and handle those repairs once so that you will likely not have to deal with this issue again.
If you're not sure where to begin with regards to protecting your home from water damage, contact the professionals at J&M Carpet today to discuss the situation and to have an inspection done on your home. An ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure, especially in this situation.
Water Damage Restoration - What Is It?
It is the process of repairing a house or property to its pre loss condition. Damage to the property could be because of an overflow, flood or any other water damage event. The water damage restoration process involves several key procedures like loss assessment, categorization based on the water contamination levels, decontaminating and drying the structure, monitoring of the process and completion of the process. There are two large certifying bodies, namely the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) and the RIA (Restoration Industry Association) that recommends standards for water damage restoration. The S500 damage due to water guide is the benchmark tool that is used by companies that specialize in restoration of water damage.
Loss Assessment and Categorization
Loss evaluation is the first and the most important step in water damage restoration. The assessment has to be correct so that an appropriate response can be taken. In restorating the damage caused by water, technicians and the insurance companies must work together and understand what is damaged and how to go about restoring the damage. Identifying the source of the damage, documentation of damage, and accurate estimates are mandatory for a proper water damage restoration. Categorization is based on the contamination levels of the water source. The categories are listed below
Category 1 - This is water from clean sources like pipes, sinks and toilets without faeces or urine.
Category 2 - This is water that has some contaminants like water from a dishwasher, washing machine or toilet with urine.
Category 3 - This is water that is highly unsanitary and is capable of causing illness or death if ingested. Sewage water, water from toilet with faeces, standing water with microbial growth and floodwater are some examples.
Decontamination and Drying
After the evaluation is complete, the process of drying and decontaminating begins at the site. Based on the extent of damage, damage caused due to water can be classified into 4 types. Class 1 Damage- When loss is restricted to a small area and less water has been absorbed by materials. This results in slow evaporation rate. Class 2 Damage - When the damage is to the entire room and carpet area. Class 3 Damage - When the entire area is saturated with water and Class 4 Damage - when there are many deep saturation pockets. Decontamination and drying is a key stage in Water damage restoration and equipments like blowers, dehumidifiers, scrubbers and subfloor drying equipments have to be used. Decontamination has to be done if contamination has been detected in the area. Decontamination may be done for the entire area or in specific pockets where contamination has been detected.
Monitoring and Completion
Monitoring the restoration process of damage caused due to damage is critical to achieve the desired results. One has to be proactive during the monitoring process. Checking if the drying equipment is setup properly, assessing if the personnel involved are qualified for the job and checking if the equipments are in working order are all part of the monitoring process. Necessary steps are to be taken if anything wrong is spotted during the monitoring process. The entire process of water damage restoration would be classified as complete only once the humidity, temperature and the moisture content is as per industry standards. Upon completion of the water damage restoration process, the drying equipment can be removed.