Water Damage Repair Long Beach
3633 E Broadway #6035
Long Beach, CA 90803C
(844) 888-3228
Wonder what exactly water damage restoration is? As you know, when your home suffers from water damage, you've got a big mess - and a big job - on your hands. The process of repairing your home to its pre-loss condition after a flood, overflow, or other water damage event is known as water damage restoration. During the water damage restoration process, several key procedures take place: loss assessment, categorizing water based on the water source's contamination levels, drying and decontaminating the structure and its contents, monitoring the process, and completion.
Before any restoration job is undertaken, it is first evaluated so that an appropriate response is taken. For example, if you were considering buying and restoring a classic car, you'd want to know exactly what you are dealing with and where to begin. When it comes to water damage, not only must the technicians fully understand the task ahead of them, insurance companies are often involved. Not only must a water damage restoration technician understand what is damaged and what needs to be done, the damage must be thoroughly inspected and documented and accurate estimates made. The source of the damage must also be identified so that necessary repairs can be made.
As part of the assessment, water is categorized based on the contamination levels (Category 1, 2, or 3) of its water source. For example, water damage from a clean source such as an overflowing sink is easier to deal with than a water source containing raw sewage. The categories are as follows:
o Category 1 - Water from clean sources such as sinks, pipes, and toilet bowls (without urine or feces)
o Category 2 - Water with some contaminants such as water from a washing machine, dishwasher, or toilet with urine (but no feces)
o Category 3 - Water that is extremely unsanitary, capable of causing severe illness or death if the water was ingested. Examples of Category 3 water include sewage, water from a toilet bowl containing feces, floodwaters from rivers, and standing water with microbial growth.
Keep in mind that the source water may have originally been fairly clean and sanitary, but it can quickly come into contact with unsanitary contaminants and become Category 2 or 3 water.
Water damage usually affects not just the immediate area but also the home's contents. Water damage restoration technicians must also deal with furniture, drapes, carpets, electronics, books, and other contents affected by the water. Some of these contents will be moved before the water gets to them in an attempt to prevent damage, others will need to be dried, cleaned, and decontaminated, and others still will be damaged to the point where they must be discarded.
Finally, the drying, cleaning, and decontaminating process begins. During this time, equipment such as blowers, scrubbers, subfloor drying equipment, and dehumidifiers are put into place and left for several days with the drying process monitored to ensure that the all equipment is placed appropriately and working as it should. Humidity levels, temperatures, and moisture content of affected areas are monitored with additional drying continuing as needed. In addition to drying, cleaning, decontaminating, mold inhibitors may be used to prevent mold from growing. Deodorizers may also be required. Even if the water damage was from a Category 1 water source, contaminants in carpets and the underlying carpet pad can quickly lead to a foul odor.
Depending on the extent of the damage, additional repairs may be required. For example, if the drywalls and carpet were damaged to the point where they need to be replaced, those repairs will take place once the underlying areas are dry. Finally, once the home is dried out and restored to its pre-loss condition, the water damage restoration job is complete.
Water damage restoration is a complicated task that requires a variety of techniques and equipment in order to ensure that the job is properly done. Depending on the size and scale of the emergency, different steps are taken in order to remove the water and remediate any contaminated areas. Today, we will continue from our previous article and go over the various things that are typically done on a water damage job as well as the scope of the equipment used.
The essential steps to any water damage restoration job can be broken down as follows:
* Flood Water Removal
* Moisture Mapping
* Mold Inspection and Removal
* Water Drying Techniques
Flood Water Removal
Removing the source of the water is the first important step on any water damage restoration. Professional technicians should have a variety of equipment available at their disposal when they arrive on the scene. Usually, portable submergible water pumps are used to pump out water accumulation in structures. These pumps have a high threshold for extracting water and can usually dry out an entire submerged area in a short time, which is essential to stop the damage from spreading.
Moisture Mapping
Moisture mapping involves using detection equipment in order to obtain an approximate map for the moisture values on your property. Infrared is one of the more common methods used to obtain accurate readings, and properly trained technicians typically take high-quality digital photos as well to assess the extent of the damage. This step is crucial in order to get an idea of how bad the water damage may be and to take preliminary steps to prevent mold growth.
Mold Inspection and Removal
Residual water can lead to mold damage if unaddressed. Water damage professionals will use special detergents that sterilize the area and make conditions unfavorable for mold growth. Additionally, some restoration firms can use deodorization and ventilation as part of the process to get rid of any lingering odors and airborne contaminants.
Water Drying Techniques
These are some of the most common water drying techniques utilized by IICRC-certified professionals. Each technique is used according to the severity of the situation.
Air Movers
Also known as evaporators, air movers help the drying process by controlling humidity in a region and promote circulation of air. This helps on a broad level by removing liquids from porous materials - carpet, wood, drywall, plaster and more - leaving the more difficult trying to specialized equipment.
Dehumidifiers / Desiccant Dehumidification
Dehumidifiers remove the moisture from the air so lingering water in the area can be extracted from the area. These can be categorized broadly under refrigerant dehumidifiers and desiccant dehumidifiers.
Refrigerant dehumidifiers work under the principle of cooling the surrounding air. When this happens, the air loses its ability to retain water, causing condensation upon the cooling coils of the equipment. High-grade dehumidifiers work like a powerful version of consumer dehumidifiers, rapidly pulling the excess moisture from the air.
Desiccant dehumidifiers do not need cooling to remove water; instead, they use materials that naturally absorb moisture. When applied on a large scale, these machines can quickly extract humidity from the air in as effective a manner as refrigerants. The type of equipment uses depends on the company you hire and the conditions of the restoration job.
Additional equipment specific to the homeowner's region may be utilized, depending on the size of the restoration firm. Each water damage job is completely unique and requires proper analysis of the situation at hand to apply the proper equipment and techniques for removing water as quickly as possible.
