When your home suffers water damage, you need to take action as quickly as possible. Of course, you need to make sure that the water is removed and that you get everything dried out. But, the cleanup process should actually begin before you start removing the water. The first thing you need to do is decide whether you'll tackle the cleanup as a do-it-yourself project, or if you need to hire a contractor to take care of everything for you. If there isn't much of a mess, you should be able to take care of the cleanup on your own. But, you'll need to look at the bigger picture before you decide. Here are three issues to consider when deciding on how to proceed with the cleanup.
Volume of Water
If you had a pipe break in your home, but you've got the flow under control, chances are good that you can handle the cleanup on your own. But, if you're dealing with a major flood, such as one which comes from a natural disaster, don't try to take care of the cleanup by yourself. You're going to need professional equipment to remove large volumes of water.
Affected Areas
If you have a multi-story home, don't start the cleanup until you isolate the location. This is especially important when the flooding involves the upper levels of your home. You might not realize this but the water could seep through the floors and into the ceiling area below. If that has happened, you'll need professional assistance with the cleanup. If the water has seeped through the upper floors, you could be facing structural damage, which can't be repaired as a do-it-yourself project. Before you're left to deal with water-related floor to ceiling collapse, hire an emergency water damage restoration contractor.
Type of Water
If your home is flooded, don't begin the cleanup until you've considered the type of water you're dealing with. If you're dealing with a clean water supply, such as a broken pipe, you shouldn't need to worry about contamination. But, if you're dealing with gray water or black water flooding, wait for the professionals. Gray water comes from sources such as washing machines and dishwashers. Black water comes from either sewer water or lakes and rivers. These sources contain contamination that can make you sick. If your home is flooded by gray or black water, hire a water damage restoration contractor.
When you have a fire in your home, or when flood waters seep in and saturate your building materials, you of course feel overwhelmed and saddened. It's terrible to see the home you love — a home that was once comforting and caring — be destroyed by natural or unnatural disaster. But rest assured; the home can be restored. Repair and restoration professionals are capable of making some pretty substantial changes and bringing your home back to its former glory. We've seen it ourselves, and it was a very good feeling! We hope this blog raises your awareness of the work these teams can really do.