Water Damage Restoration Tips Everyone Should Know

7/15/2021 (Permalink)

Water Damage Restoration Tips Everyone Should Know

Leaking pipes, burst sewer lines, and natural disasters can leave your home severely damaged. If your home is affected by water damage, you must quickly identify the cause and move fast to avoid secondary damage. 

Dealing with water damage in your home can be tremendously stressful to deal with, especially when it can lead to more problems for you to deal with later on. While these repairs often call for help from SERVPRO of Pickens County, there are a few steps you can use to minimize damage while you wait for help to arrive. 

What Does Water Damage Affect?

Water is a vital part of life, but water can also destroy anything and everything in its path – leaving you with a gigantic mess to clean up. As a homeowner, you must understand what areas water can seriously damage within your home. To be safe, you need to inspect the following locations for damage:

• Drywall
• Plaster
• Insulation
• Wood
• Framing
• Floor coverings
• Electrical wiring
• Pipes
• Appliances
• HVAC

As you can see, water can wreak havoc on your home’s structure and foundation and quickly wrack up a hefty restoration bill if left unattended.

What to Consider Before Water Damage Restoration?

To determine whether you will clean up the area yourself or call SERVPRO of Pickens County, the first thing you want to do is to evaluate the situation and consider a few of these factors:

Water Volume:

If you have a small or moderate amount of water in your home, you can typically manage the cleanup on your own if you have the proper tools. However, if there is a significant amount of flooding that is not going away despite your efforts, it is best to call a SERVPRO of Pickens County.

Source of Damage:

Before you call us, you need to determine the source of water and stop it if possible. If you cannot stop it yourself, consider calling a plumber before us. There are three categories of water we use to assess the severity of damage in your home.

1. Category One: Water in category one originates from a sanitary source. Rainwater, water from leaky pipes, burst supply lines, broken toilet tanks or toilet bowls, or water from overflowed sinks or tubs, is categorized as a category one level of contamination. This water does not contain any contaminants and will not harm you. 
2. Category Two: Water leaking from appliances like your dishwasher or washing machine is gray water. It is slightly contaminated and categorized as a category two level of contamination. 
3. Category Three: Category three water is the most harmful type of water and is heavily contaminated. This water comes from the sewer or flooding from a nearby water source such as a river. It contains health hazards and is unsafe to handle.

3 Thing You Can Do Before Help Arrives: 

Properly assess your situation, and call SERVPRO of Pickens County. It is important to note that wet materials begin to mold after 24 hours, so you don’t have time to wait! There are a few things you can do while you wait for our arrival. 

1.Disconnect Outlets:

When you discover water damage, you need to unplug all electronics immediately. While you may not see the severity of the water damage, you still need to exercise caution around appliances and gas lines. Using this equipment could cause electrical shocks or even explosions. 

2. Inspect For Mold: 

Certain mold strains are toxic to humans and pose serious health effects. Mold can rapidly spread through your entire home once it attaches to organic material, so it is in your best interest to inspect for growth to avoid any health effects. 

3. Dry Water Out: 

If possible, you need to eliminate all moisture and dry out the affected areas. You can use fans or a large-capacity dehumidifier to circulate air and dry out the carpet, wood, and other surrounding materials. While this won’t prevent mold growth altogether, properly drying out the area will help minimize the damage.