Don't Skip These Steps In Water Damage Restoration
Posted on: 17 June 2020
Many people think of water damage restoration as simply removing any water-damaged building materials and replacing them with new ones. Indeed, this is an important part of the restoration process. However, if this is all you do after a flooding incident, your home won't stay in very good condition for long. There are other important steps in water damage restoration that you should absolutely not skip.
Sanitize everything that the water came into contact with
You might assume this is only necessary if the water that flooded your home was sewage. However, it is just as important if your home was flooded with rainwater, or even with clean water from the main water pipe. Rainwater can carry all sorts of germs from outside, and if there's even one contaminated thing the clean water touches as it floods your home, everything will be contaminated. All you really need to sanitize most hard surfaces is bleach water. Pour a capful of bleach into a gallon of water and wipe everything down.
Control humidity
After a flooding incident, the air becomes quite heavy with water vapor. If you don't remove this water vapor, the home won't continue to dry, as more water won't be able to evaporate into the saturated air. Plus, continually high humidity will eventually lead to mold, and you don't want all of your newly installed building materials to mold. The easiest way to control humidity is just to buy a portable dehumidifier and plug it in. Remember to empty the collection chamber often; it may fill up several times per day at first.
Watch out for mold, and address it ASAP
If you do a really good job of cleaning up the water and getting the humidity down ASAP, you may not end up with any mold. However, there is a good chance mold will develop. The secret then becomes to detect it early so you can clean it up before it has a chance to spread. Again, wipe it up with bleach and water, and double down on your humidity control. If you see more than a little mold, or if it keeps coming back after you wipe it up, then call in the professionals.
If you are thorough from the get-go, your water damage restoration efforts will be more effective. When in doubt, rely on a water damage restoration service. They have the tools and tactics needed to clean up your home and keep it that way.
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