The Value of Repair and Restoration Companies

If hurricane stormwater or a sewage backup floods your home, you may naturally feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the water cleanup job. Fortunately, powerful water cleanup equipment can make cleaning up your flooded home look as easy as emptying a bathtub.

The longer you wait, though, the higher the potential for damage is from contaminated, standing, and invisible water damage. Here's why most water flooding should be treated on an emergency response basis. 

Contaminated Water

Most types of water damage pose a risk of contaminated water. Sewage backup and stormwater are obvious sources of potentially dangerous pathogens and toxins. Contamination may also be present in water from a burst pipe in your home and may even be the cause of the damage. 

If you're a do-it-yourselfer tackling the chore of mopping up, you will also require the equipment to properly sanitize your home. A critical step in water damage restoration is sanitization. In all types of water damage, sanitization is required to protect you and your family from potentially harmful microorganisms. Carpet and upholstery cleaning is also advisable. Carpets, in particular, are breeding grounds for bacteria and mold.

Standing Water 

Standing water can seep through roofs and dry wall and cause structural damage. In these cases, patching a region of a roof or wall may not suffice. A new roof or wall may be required. Of greater concern, the risk is high that the standing water contains bacteria that can harm your family's health.

Owing to the large amounts of standing water from a stormwater surge or broken pipes, powerful vacuums are required to clean up the water as fast as possible. A large vacuum truck with the capacity to hold thousands of gallons of water can vacuum up the water over a short period of time. The extent of the damage done by the water is partially due to how long the water is left standing.

Water You Cannot See

You should be most concerned about the invisible water damage and leaks you cannot see. They are the most likely to cause severe structural damage. Unfortunately, when the damage is severe enough to cause warping and bubbling of exterior surfaces, extensive damage has already been done.

To avoid costly home repairs and even home abandonment, the following measures should be taken:

• water detection using infrared cameras, humidity and moisture sensors, and other advanced sensing equipment to identify exterior water, moisture, and humidity presence and damage
• structural drying to prevent moisture and mold
• cleaning of HVAC, ducts, and pipes. 

Water damage restoration can then restore your home and leave it in even better structural shape than before the flood. 

To learn more, contact a water damage restoration company.