4 Reasons Why Water Damage Requires Professional Restoration

10/10/2016 (Permalink)

If you suffer water damage in your home, you might be under the impression that you can simply clean it up yourself. However, in any situation where you have this type of damage, it is very important that only professionals handle the cleanup job. Attempting to clean up the mess yourself could result in even worse damage as the condition of the damage worsens over time.

What most people who suffer from water damage often don’t realize is that the longer water damage goes untreated, the more permanent the damage becomes. Allowing damage to go untreated for days, or even hours, can result in possessions that could have been saved now having to be thrown out. It also can result in health issues such as mildew or mold growing throughout the home. The following are four important aspects to look out for during a water damage cleanup and why only professionals should handle the cleanup.

Hidden Structural Damage

Whenever the professionals at SERVPRO are called in to restore a home that has suffered from water damage, the very first thing they do is an assessment. This assessment is to ensure that they fully understand the damage that has occurred so that they can properly restore the building. One of the assessments that takes place is a structural assessment. Certain damage that occurs in the home may be obvious to the homeowner such as rotting wood or holes in the ceiling. But there can also be hidden structural damage.

When water comes through the roof due to missing or broken shingles or some other problem, the water can go through the attic and seep down the walls causing additional issues. Flowing down inside the walls, the water can cause wooden beams that hold the house up to rot as well. However, due to the fact that these are hidden behind the wall, most homeowners would probably not even think to look there. Additionally, health issues such as mold or mildew can occur behind these walls in areas that are not visible. If left untreated, these situations can cause structural problems for the building and over time could cause other issues to the home and its occupants.

Dangerous Conditions

Cleaning up water damage can be a dangerous task based on the conditions the damage has created in the home. Hidden structural damage, mold, and other contaminants such as chemicals and sewage have the ability to infiltrate the building during the event. When cleaning up water damage, it’s important to take certain safety precautions to ensure that you don’t suffer an injury or fall to an illness. Not only will hiring a professional clean up service ensure that you don’t have such an issue, but they are specially trained to protect themselves and those around them from suffering such a fate.

Right Equipment

When cleaning up water damage, it’s important to completely dry the affected area. Failure to do so could result in worse damage which could include problems such as mold and mildew. You may think that you have properly dried the affected area using towels but any type of remaining water or dampness could result in the problems worsening. When professional restoration services arrive to handle the cleanup, they use specialized equipment that is designed the ensure that the entire area is properly dried.

Speed of Clean Up

One of the most important parts of cleaning up water damage is the time in which the cleanup occurs. Within the first hour of the damage occurring, floors and carpets may begin to show permanent stains and paper products will be permanently damaged. Within 24 hours, drywall may begin to break down and metals begin to tarnish. Within 48 hours to a week, mold and mildew may grow and spread, furniture may start to warp, paint may blister, and woods may swell and warp. If you wait more than a week to have the damage cleaned up by professionals, much of the damage will be irreversible and the cost of the cleanup will increase significantly. For these reasons, it’s important to call professionals immediately to begin the cleanup so your home can be restored as much as possible.

Water damage can be a devastating event for any homeowner. It has the potential to cause structural damage to your home and a costly cleanup. The longer you wait to address the problem, the greater the damage will be. Additionally, attempting to clean up the damage yourself could result in the damage worsening. Calling on the professionals at SERVPRO to clean up any of your water damage will ensure that any salvageable items will be restored and the damage to your home will be limited as much as possible.