Emergency Water Damage Removal

In the majority of cases if there has been some kind of water disaster such as a flood or a failure of the water mains pipe that has resulted in significant damage to the home or property it is going to be crisis time. An emergency water damage restoration is going to have to be organized and you are going to have to rely on the help of water damage specialists very quickly.

You will need to know what kinds of services you are looking for the restoration company to be able to provide so that you can be sure the necessary help is available. Some essential features to look for include:

• A 24 hour service from the company where you can rely on help any time day or night.
• Water extraction.
• Mold remediation.
• Drying of the structure that includes all aspects of the home – the structure and the contents.
• A dehumidifying service.
• Sanitization and disinfectant service.
• Pack-out and pack back of the household contents. This includes off-site storage.

Tasks such as water extraction can be major operations, particularly if you live in an area that is prone to such natural disasters as hurricanes or floods. An emergency water extraction should be undertaken by professionals who know what they are doing. The sooner the water is removed from the property the greater the chance that belongings ill be able to be salvaged.

The reason why you want to choose a company who offers full 24 hour service is because water can destroy things in a matter of hours and these hours might make the difference between saving and losing valuable possessions.

The water damage doesn’t necessarily have to be confined to the home for an emergency call out to a restoration company to be necessary. Vehicle water damage is also an occasion where the very best of help will be required with techniques required to dry out the car motor as well as the interior of the car itself. Just because the vehicle has been completely flooded doesn’t necessarily mean that the car is destroyed.

Removing the water from the vehicle is only the first step with drying out the interior essential. If mold is a potential problem following water damage in the home then it is a dead certainty for the car. Interior surfaces provide the ideal conditions for any sort of mold to form with warm conditions adding to the perfect setting.

So remember there is merit in making your call to water damage specialists a priority in times of emergency. By delaying the call you will only be making their job more difficult and less likely to succeed. A good water damage service will provide you with solutions from the moment they arrive. You should get a feeling of confidence when the emergency help arrives.

There are also some tips available on what to do when you have some drywall water damage.

A Few Tips When Cleaning Water Damage

Water damage can occur in one of many different ways and regardless of how it actually occurs, it is imperative that you begin cleaning water damage as soon as you can. One of the cautions that should be made clear before you wade into the fray is that water that has invaded the home may be filled with pollutants that are dangerous to your health.

If you are going to attempt to clean water damage you should be sure that the water is clean water rather than water that has been contaminated with sewage or a chemical or biological pollutant. Any items that have suffered water damage as a result of water other than clean water should simply be disposed of.

The first step in cleaning water damage is to assess every item in the house for the level of damage that has occurred. As an immediate guide here are some of the items that will be simpler to discard and replace: ceiling tiles, fiberglass insulation, drywall that has noticeably become swollen, cheap or non-valuable books and documents. Just about everything else can be dried and then cleaned to the point where it will be salvageable.

If the water damage has occurred longer ago than 48 hours there will be a good chance that mold growth will have begun. The first step in this case is to clean any noticeable mold growth before you take any further action. While performing the mold remediation you should also have begun the drying process. This may be done with a dehumidifier in conjunction with fans or heaters.

Carpets, concrete, upholstered furniture and hard surfaces will also benefit by using a water extraction vacuum first. This will start the drying process and then bringing in other methods will give you faster results.

Drapes or curtains that have been damaged by water should be removed from the room and laundered following the manufacturers instructions. Once they have been properly cleaned and dried they should be ready to hang back in their original place following the cleaning process of the rest of the room.

Any object that holds special sentimental or monetary value that concerns you and your own abilities to properly clean it without damaging it should seek the assistance of a water damage specialist. It is better to spend the money on a professional job which may save you the greater cost of losing your valued object.

This post is part of the wide ranging articles offering advice on fire and water damage on this site.

Water Damaged Plaster

After a lot of water exposure to a building, regardless of the source of the water, the building must be dried out thoroughly before any kind of restoration can be done. One of the materials that exist in a lot of building is plaster so it is necessary to be aware of the kind of restoration that is required for water damaged plaster.

The good news if you’ve got plaster walls is that plaster can be dried out much more readily than other common wall surfaces such as sheetrock. Exactly ho much better it dries will depend on the plaster mix that was used when making the wall, the amount of water it has been exposed to and where in the wall the greatest damage has occurred.

If the damage to the plaster has come from clean rainwater it should be possible to save the wall. The first step I s to drain the water from the wall cavity by removing the baseboard and drilling holes in the plaster just above the floor. A word of warning here, use a cordless or battery drill when performing this task.

Remove any wet insulation from within the wall cavity. You want to ensure that the wall cavity has dried thoroughly. To speed up the drying process, open windows and doors to promote good airflow or if that’s not possible bring in fans to circulate the air.

Clean down the walls to remove any water stains and you can consider using a weak solution of Clorox and water to inhibit or remove any early stages of mold growth.

When water damages plaster it causes bubbles in the surface due to the way the lime reacts to the water. This may either be minor damage or it can involve the entire plaster coat that can then crumble away. All of the water damaged plaster should be removed and this can be done with a putty knife or a paint scraper. If the plaster surface has become too hard for the putty knife it may be necessary to use a hammer and chisel to scrape back the hard shell that has formed.

If the wall surface is painted you will have to test it to find out whether it has survived the damage. If it peels off easily when scraped with a putty knife it should be removed back until you reach a point where the paint won’t come off easily.

Once you have scraped back to undamaged plaster you can then prepare the surface and replace the plaster that has been removed with a setting-type joint compound. After refilling the plaster and letting it harden, sand it back until it is smooth and then add another layer of the compound, applying it in a direction that is perpendicular to the way it was applied with the first coat. Repeat the sanding process ensuring that the wall is completely smooth. Clean off the plaster dust and then coat the surface with a primer-sealer before painting over the patched up area.

Prevent Water Damage With A Water Leak Detection System

Just as important as repairing a water damaged house after a flood or other type of water damage is taking steps to prevent the damage in the first place. One of the sources of a high proportion of cases of water damage comes from water pipes that have failed. It is possible to detect and prevent water damage from occurring.

It’s possible that a burst water pipe can go undetected for a long time, leaking hundreds of gallons of water and flooding the floor of the home. An automatic shutoff valve will prevent untold water damage due to a failure in the plumbing. By automatically cutting off the water flow when a leak is detected they can prevent flooding.

You can get two types of water leak detection devices. The first is one that you install near the source of the water to the entire house at the service valve. The second is a water leak detector that is installed on the line directly to the appliance.

In both cases the device uses a sensor to detect the presence of a leak. The sensors can be an integral component of the plumbing that can be either wired in to the shutoff valve directly or via a wireless connection. The sensor might be placed on the ground near the base of the appliance where it is most likely a leak will occur. One of these devices can be used to prevent damage from a water heater leak.

Water leak detection systems are available that have two vastly different reactions after a leak is detected. The first is what might be termed an active leak detector and the second as a passive leak detector.

The active leak detector will activate a shut off valve that will immediately turn the water off to ensure the leak is stopped. The passive leak detector will simply sound an alarm to alert you to the fact that a leak has been found. The passive leak detector loses its effectiveness if no-one is home to hear the alarm, meanwhile the water will continue to flow onto the floor of your house.

The leak, if and when it comes, is not necessarily going to play nice and occur out in the open where you can easily spot it and have the access to stop it immediately. Water pipes are also laid underground and are prone to corroding and failing, spilling water straight into the earth and potentially washing away the soil making the ground particularly unstable. You can get a water leak detector that can listen for the distinctive sound of water escaping from a pipe under pressure.

The ideal situation is to have your water leak detector installed on the main water supply line with sensors mounted at all of the vulnerable points where a leak is likely to occur.

The benefits that you will get from installing a water leak detection system is that the risk of water damage to the house is greatly reduced, you may be eligible for a reduction on your insurance premiums and you will have the peace of mind in knowing that your home and valuables are protected.

Water Damage From Water Heater Leaks

It is usually pretty obvious that the water heater has started to leak, although this will only be the case if your water heater is in a spot that you see on a regular basis. If the water heater is under the house in a basement that is rarely visited, then the water that has started to pool on the floor under the heater will remain unnoticed until other factors come into play.

Unfortunately, these factors may include a higher than expected water bill, a higher than expected electricity bill or an unexpected cold shower when the hot water runs out. There may be other indicators that the water heater has started to leak such as a constant damp feeling in the air or the growth of mold.

The leak in the water heater may have come about due to corrosion, in which case it will be necessary to replace the water heater, or it could be because of a failure in the water lines. If it is the latter problem, then it may be possible that you can repair the leak yourself. If you are going to avoid any further water damage the water heater is going to have to be repaired one way or the other.

As a means of avoiding significant water damage from a failed water heater that may begin leaking, you can place a drip pan underneath the unit. This is a preventative measure that is not expected to provide a long term solution should the water heater actually start to leak. The drip pan would merely prevent or minimize water damage to the floor until the proper repair work can be carried out. Make sure the drip pan has a drain that can be connected to a waste line so that it can channel the water out of the building.

A water heater leak can cause all sorts of water damage to the home, but even though the thought of possible mold, mildew or subfloor damage may sound like it’s a nightmare there is even greater damage that can be caused. An improperly installed water heater can result in toxic fumes being emitted or can be the cause of a house fire.

One of the simple steps you can take from time to time is to empty a bucket of water from the water heater though the release valve. This will help to rid the water heater of sediment build up which can contribute to corrosion of the unit.

Another step you can take that will also help to prevent major water damage in the house is to install an automatic shut of valve (ASOV), also known as a water leak detection system, to the water heater. The ASOV uses a water sensor that is linked to a water-controlling valve that is mounted on the heater’s cold water supply. When a leak is detected the ASOV stops the flow of water into the heater preventing the slow leak that can become a major water damage problem.

Water is one of the most damaging elements to property, responsible for more damage to properties each year than fire. The best way to avoid adding your property to the list due to a failed water heater is to take preventative measures. Assuming that there will be a water heater leak one day will prepare for a quick clean up job when it happens.

More articles about water damage prevention and restoration.

Hardwood Water Damage
Ceiling Water Damage Repair
Flood Restoration Tasks
Basement Water Damage

A Whole House Dehumidifier

Humidity in the house can cause problems and high humidity can result in conditions that allows mold to take hold. This can then lead to respiratory problems stemming from mold allergies. Early and decisive steps should be taken to reduce the humidity throughout the house or business and the best way to do that is to install a whole house dehumidifier. These units will also be necessary if there has been major flood or water damage that has inundated the majority of the lower floors of the property.

You can set up a whole house dehumidifier in either the home or in an office and let it run quietly in the background. They can be bought either as stand-alone units or as an installed unit that is connected to the ducted air conditioning in the home.

The aim of a dehumidifier is to remove the moisture content from the air and a whole house dehumidifier is simply a larger scale unit that is capable of working over a larger area. The stand-alone models would be suitable for a large, open plan room that will allow the dehumidification to operate within one large room. The integrated units would be more suitable for humidity problems within a large number of rooms.

Although the smaller of the whole house dehumidifiers won’t have quite as large a coverage, although up to 2200 square feet is a large area in itself, the smaller units are usually mounted on wheels and can be moved easily from room to room.

An example of one of the smaller units is a Santa Fe RX Whole House Dehumidifier which is capable of removing up to 86 pints of moisture per day. It is a stand-alone unit and can be moved from room to room. It’s probably ideal for an area such as a library that might be experiencing problems with mold in books.

In comparison an integrated unit that gives you the option of being professionally installed into a ducted air conditioning system or left as a stand alone unit would be something like the Comfort Plus 300 Desiccant Dehumidifier. This unit is designed to remove moisture over an area of 4000 square feet. If you’ve been beset with mold problems throughout a large house or a series of school classrooms or similar sized area, something like this is ideal. Units such as this one can be run independent of the temperature. With some units the temperature is too low for the dehumidifier to operate.

After a major disaster such as flood water damage that has left large levels of moisture in the home it is necessary to begin removing the moisture from the area as quickly as possible. A whole house dehumidifier, or even a group of them working in conjunction with each other, is the kind of unit that you will want to use. They can be hired from many reputable hire companies for any period you require them.

In many cases you won’t want to have to buy a whole house dehumidifier unless the dampness problem is something that can’t be solved simply. In the end it may be cheaper to buy the dehumidifier and have it operating quietly in the background than spend thousands more on a major repair job.

More reading about dehumidifiers

A Desiccant Dehumdifier To Repair Water Damage

Ceiling Water Damage Repair

Water damage to the ceiling is the kind of problem that can begin as a minor inconvenience only to grow into a major problem if left unchecked. It is often caused by a leaking roof or eating plumbing from upstairs bathrooms. You find that water slowly runs along the rafters or down beams to the surface of the drywall ceiling and then becomes visible through a seam or corner. You might first notice a slight yellow or brown discoloration on the surface of the ceiling.

Changing the ceiling after damage is not quite as daunting a task as you may first imagine it to be. It may be a little more difficult than changing a wall after damage but only because gravity will be adding complexity to the task. In this case it is possible to make minor repairs to fix a damaged ceiling without fear of the whole thing falling on your head. Any major repairs should be made by a professional.

The moment you notice any change in color to the ceiling is the first moment that you should start investigating either the ceiling itself or the space behind the ceiling. You don't want to leave the ceiling water damage, which may only be a small problem when you first notice it, because if you ignore it, it will grow to become a major problem, perhaps even a disaster if the damage becomes so bad ceiling caves in.

The first step to take in performing a ceiling water damage repair is to find the leak and fix it. Once the leak is fixed you will have to get in behind the ceiling to assess the damage that the water has caused. This might involve removing the insulation to let it dry out. If you have caught it early enough it may be possible that you won't have to replace the ceiling drywall, it may simply need to be re-fastened, taped and plastered.

You may not be so lucky and the damage to the ceiling might mean it needs to be replaced. In this case the repair job may be similar to that of a regular drywall repair. This means cutting out the part of the drywall that is damaged, drying out the space behind the ceiling and then replacing it with a new piece of drywall. The important part of the repair is to make sure that everything behind the ceiling is completely dry. This includes the insulation and the beams and rafters in the roof.

In a lot of cases with a water damaged ceiling it won't be possible to clean the brown or yellow water stains without taking any further action. Instead you will have to use a stain sealer which is an oil based stain covering paint. Once the paint is dry complete the drywall replacement and then apply a couple more coats of ceiling paint.

All of these ceiling water damage repair tips assume that you already have a lot of experience in performing home handyman tasks. If this is not the case your best solution is to call in a water damage professional who will be better equipped to deal with the problem properly.

More information about water damage.

Hardwood Floor Water Damage
Drywall Water Damage
Water Damage Restoration For Floors and Walls

Hardwood Floor Water Damage

Repairing water damage on a hardwood floor is a task that may be necessary from time to time on a small scale with intermittent spillages or minor leaks. Alternatively you may be faced with major water damage following flood or a large body of water that has saturated your hardwood floorboards.

Repairing Minor Hardwood Floor Water Damage

If you have discovered a minor leak that has allowed water to seep onto your hardwood floorboards, there may be a single spot that has become damp and discoloured compared to the rest of your floor. In this case there are some simple steps that you can take to repair the hardwood floor water damage.

Firstly, make sure you have identified the source of the water damage and fixed it completely. Any later repair work will be for nothing if you do not seal the leak or repair the pipes from where the water is coming.

Next, you may be faced with a spot that is discoloured and possibly swollen and cracked. The wood grain has become affected by the water damage and has reacted. Dry out the affected area until it is completely dry before beginning any restoration work on it.

Begin by sanding back the affected area starting with a coarse sandpaper before moving back to a finer grit. Once the area has been sanded back and the stain edges are smooth treat the area with a wood sealant that matches the rest of the floor. Following one coat of sealant it may be necessary to sand it back before adding another coat.

Some kind of blending process may have to be done so that the damaged area winds up looking the same as the original floor.

Major Hardwood Floor Water Damage Repair

When a lot of moisture has been absorbed by a hardwood floor the most common result is that the wood expands. When the boards expand they become wider and one of two things might happen, you might have a buckled floor or you may have a floor that is cupped. In either case you are left with a seriously uneven floor.

In order to restore the water damaged hardwood floor without having to pull up the entire floor and replace it you can use a process known as
desiccant dehumidification. This is carried out by bringing in a desiccant dehumidifier which if very effective at reducing the humidity level in the air. The desiccant dehumidifier can be run under sealed conditions to completely remove the moisture from the area. In this case you are removing moisture from the floorboards.

Running a dehumidifier for an extended period will help to reduce the swollen floorboards and counteract the cupping or buckling that has taken place. As the moisture is drawn out of the air it will also be drawn out of the hardwood floorboards and they will shrink back to their normal size. Effectively you want the top surface of the floorboards and the bottom surface to be balanced in moisture content.

An illustration of a cupped wood floor

Once the floor has been properly dried and the moisture is removed from the surrounding area, the floor can be sanded back and refinished so that it is returned to its original smoothness again.
If the hardwood floor has become so buckled that it has come completely away from the subfloor to which it was attached it may be necessary to call in a hardwood floor installer to reattach the planks.

In all cases when dealing with repairing hardwood floor water damage the key to a successful restoration is to completely remove the moisture that caused the original damage in the first place. No matter how carefully you carry out your restoration, if you haven’t fixed the origin of the water the problem will return and cost you even more of both your time and money.

Here are some more water damage restoration articles

Water Damage Restoration for Floors and Walls

Drywall Water Damage

Basement Water Damage

Deodorizing A Water Damaged Carpet

Drywall Water Damage

The way you deal with water damage to your drywall walls will depend largely on a number of different factors. The first thing that must be determined is the amount of water involved in the damage, the more water damage there is affecting the drywall the greater will be the repair required.

The sort of water involved in the drywall water damage will also play a big part in the action you will be required to take. There are three standards that measure the cleanliness of the water that has invaded your home: black, grey and clear.

Black water is highly polluted water, usually involving sewage contamination but can also contain pesticides or toxic organic substances. If your drywall is affected by black water you will have to completely replace the wall and very likely the supporting structure underneath as well.

Gray water can carry microorganisms that are harmful to the health, possibly causing illness. Gray water may come from dishwashers, washing machines or sump pump failures. Walls that are affected by gray water can be treated without having to resort to complete wall removal.

Clear water damage usually originates from leaky pipes, rainwater or sink overflows that do not contain contaminates. Drywall water damage that involves clear water can be treated without having to remove the drywall.

Drywall Water Damage Repair

Drywall that has been affected by water damage will become quite noticeable very quickly because the paper backing tends to bubble or wrinkle. It should be repaired after first identifying the cause of the initial water damage. There’s no point in repairing a water damaged drywall without fixing the source of the leak because within a month or two you’ll find yourself back exactly where you started.

If the water damage is not extensive you should simply cut out the affected area of drywall in a square or rectangle shape. Neatness counts at this point because you are going to be replacing the damaged drywall with a new piece.

Once the water damaged drywall piece is removed check the wall cavity for signs of water or, if there is insulation in the wall, test the insulation to see if it is wet. If the insulation proves to be wet, you will have to remove and replace the insulation as well, which may require a larger hole.

Once you have satisfied yourself that the wall cavity is dry, cut a replacement piece of drywall so that it is a snug fit. It may be necessary to install a backing piece if timber behind the drywall hole, screwing it to existing studs to support the new piece. Secure the new piece of drywall in place and tape the seams applying plenty of plaster over the top. Allow the plaster to dry before sanding back and finishing it to match the rest of the wall.

More Water Damage Articles

Basement Water Damage
Deodorize A Water Damaged Carpet
Repair A Water Damaged Carpet
Conduct Your Own Water Damage Restoration

The Risks Linked To Basement Water Damage

Finding out that you have a problem with water lying around on the floor of your basement should concern you above the fact that it will result in a degree of water damage to the walls, floor and any belongings being stored down there. Basement water damage will inevitably affect the rest of the household because it will create a damp atmosphere that will forever be permeating upwards into the house.

The toughest part of your basement water problems may be that you don't even realise you have a problem with water damage in the basement. This is certainly a possibility if the basement is not in constant use. It may be a storage room, or it may be locked up and only ever visited once or twice a year. If what you are unwittingly dealing with is basement water seeping onto the floor from an unidentified source, then it may be months before it is discovered.

In the meantime, you may have experienced some annoying little disturbances in the household and could never pinpoint their origin. Mold growing on walls, ceilings or even in corners on the floor may have started to give you cause for concern. But damage to the surfaces of your home may not be the most upsetting aspect of this. Left unchecked the growth of mold can trigger health problems, particularly if the member of the family suffers from a mold allergy. When there is undetected water lying in the basement, no matter how diligently you remove mold it will either come back somewhere else or it will be growing unseen in dark nooks or crannies around the house.

A Simple Task That Will Minimize Basement Water Damage

It may not be possible to predict when or if you are going to fall victim to a leak in the basement but it is possible to minimise the damage that it can cause to your home and to your family's health. The first step you should take is to at least go down into the basement on a semi-regular basis. If the greatest risk to the non-detection of water in the basement is because you never go down there, then by simply walking down a flight of stairs you may be avoiding a huge water damage bill.

So, your simple task is to look for the water damage in your basement.

Problems Caused by Basement Water Damage

There are a lot of negative outcomes that are experienced with basement flooding apart from the fact that it is an inconvenience that is expensive to repair. Research has revealed the following impacts:

Property value may depreciate when it is found that the basement may be prone to frequent flooding.

Respiratory problems are linked to houses that prove to be chronically damp.

The building foundations and structure is weakened due to frequently being damp.

Repeated claims due to a flooded basement can lead to increased insurance premiums.

So you've got at least a four-fold list of detrimental effects from basement water damage, hitting your health, your home and your wallet. If only one of these factors were in the negative you should be prompted to take action and take it swiftly. With all four being affected, the moment you detect water in your basement you should immediately seek some kind of water damage restoration assistance.

More information about basement water damage can be found in the article:

Water Damage In the Basement

Deodorizing A Water Damaged Carpet

Most carpets can withstand water damage for up to three days. Naturally, responding to a flooded carpet as quickly as possible is critical to effecting a successful restoration, but if you can't get to it within a day, there's not necessarily cause for dispair.

If you get the carpet up off the floor your first stage is to begin the drying process. Once you have worked out the state of the water that has damaged your carpet, then you can decide whether it is worth the effort to proceed. Sometimes water is simply too dirty or unsanitary to bother with a restoration and cleaning service.

There are essentially three classes of water. First there is clean water which is water that contains no debris, possibly from a leaking pipe for example. The prognosis for the wet carpet is that it can be saved. The next type of water is grey water. In this case the water is not necessarily clean but it also doesn't contain hazardous materials. The wet carpet may have been damaged from a washing machine oveflow, for example. The carpet can be saved in this case too.

The final type of water rating is black water. This may have come from sewage backup or runoff water. The carpet must be handled with caution and everything that has come in contact with the water should be discarded.

For the carpet that is being saved the carpet should first be dried and then sanitized. After it has been sanitized it will have to undergo a deodorization process. In this process there are some basic steps that should be followed. First you have to remove the source of the odor, then clean the carpet before sealing the carpet so that it is protected against further spills.

Using a deodorizing solution from the local supermarket will do the job or you could try using water with a 20% plain white vinegar mix. Follow this up with a thorough carpet shampoo and then make sure there is plenty of ventilation where the deodorizing took place to completely dry out the carpet again.

When you are performing a carpet deodorization you ant to achieve the following 7 things:

• masking
• absorbing
• pairing
• disinfecting
• digesting
• oxidizing
• sealing

As well as using a deodorizing chemical you may also have to resort to more heavy duty methods to get the carpet smelling fresh and clean again. You might have to make use of such things as thermal foggers or ozone units.

Water Damage In the Basement

One of those sinking feelings in the pit of your stomach will threaten to overwhelm you when you discover that the basement has a problem with water damage. It could be because of a long-undiscovered leak which could have been causing untold damage for a long time, or it could be caused by the creation of an environment that is overly humid.

In either situation you could find yourself sitting on foundations that have become structurally dangerous or there could be mold or other fungus growth taking place, breeding a potential health risk.

The basement may be damp because of moisture soaking through the foundation, it doesn’t necessarily have to have come from a leaking pipe.

The first step to repairing any water damage in the basement is to identify exactly what it is that’s causing the moisture in the first place. A leaking pipe will be the easiest contributor to identify and fix. Not so easy will be identifying that the daily activities of you and your family are causing a build up of humidity which is then collecting below the floor. The indicator that this is happening could be a mysterious recurring growth of mold or mildew.

It may be necessary to reassess how the water runs in the garden directly outside the basement. If the water is not running off away from the house it is possible that it is soaking into the ground and on into the basement through the walls. In this case it will be necessary to put in additional external drainage to move the water away from the house.

Lowering Humidity In the House

There are a number of ways to fix the humidity in your basement. Firstly, install ventilation fans in your kitchen and bathroom if they don’t already have them. These two rooms are the most humid of any other room in the house.

If ventilation is installed already, ensure it is directing the air out of the house and that it hasn’t become blocked. If you have a clothes dryer it should be vented to the outside of the house.

A poorly operating air conditioning system can fail to remove humidity which may be a contributing factor to a build up in the basement. Call a contractor to check your system to confirm it is operating properly.

If the basement becomes damp from humidity in the warmer months it may be necessary to have a dehumidifier running in the basement. It’s best to run the dehumidifier in a closed room to stop humid air from outside the house from entering the basement.

Water Damage From A Leaking Pipe

If the water damage is noticeable on the ceiling of the basement or on the walls directly below a bathroom it may indicate that the water pipes have been damaged. In this case your best course of action is to call out a plumber.

Water damage that consists of considerable mold growth can best be solved by calling a professional who specializes in mold remediation.

Naturally, the most certain way to solve a problem with water in the basement is to call out a reputable water damage restoration expert. Water restoration professionals are equipped to locate the cause of any moisture as well as being experienced in repairing damaged walls or ceilings and preventing water damage in the future.

Repairing A Water Damaged Carpet

Whether you’ve had a major leakage in the house, experienced a flood or have simply spilled a liquid on the carpet, the clean up job will be similar in each case. It will simply be the size of the carpet drying job that will differ. Drying a wet carpet will involve more than simply drying the surface that is exposed to the air. The felt underlay will also have been saturated and will have to be dried too or else the risk of mold is almost 100 per cent.

The important thing to remember when dealing with a wet carpet is that you must get started on the drying process immediately. The longer the carpet is left the more it will smell and the greater the opportunity for mold to develop. If mold does happen to begin growing the best advice is to discard the carpet and the underlay. Mold is a potential health risk and its presence should be removed from the house at all costs.

If you haven’t located the source of the water damage then this is the first step that you must undertake. Once the source of the water damage has been located you must start the process of removing the water. In ideal conditions mold will begin to grow after around 24 – 36 hours, but this will depend on factors such as humidity, temperature and dew point levels.

Remove the ideal mold growing conditions by lowering the humidity and the temperature with a dehumidifier and using a commercial floor fan to get the air circulating. Also, lift the carpet and place something underneath it to allow the air to flow over and under it. Open a window or run the air conditioner in the room. Essentially, you have to get as much air into the affected room(s) as possible.

For drying and repairing flood damaged carpets and you have decided not to throw the carpet away (which is one option) you will be facing a challenge to prevent mold and mildew. If the carpet has not been glued down, roll it up and take it out into the yard where you can lay it flat on a hard, dry surface in the sun. Give the carpet a thorough spray with the hose through a strong nozzle, sweeping the carpet with the water front and back. Next, use an all-purpose ammonia solution that has been diluted and soak the carpet in it for a few minutes to kill any organisms that may have begun to grow in the carpet. There is a risk with using ammonia or an equally effective bleach solution that the color of the carpet will be affected. After treating the carpet, rinse all traces of bleach or ammonia.

After treating for microbes the carpet must be dried as quickly and completely as possible so as to avoid mildew growth. Using a wet and dry vacuum will remove excess water from the carpet fibers. Leaving the carpet in the sun will speed up the drying process. If the carpet can’t be left outside it may be dried inside using an air conditioner and dehumidifier to help with moisture removal.

The best option for the padding underlay that has been saturated is to lift it and throw it away. The padded nature of the underlay will mean that it has absorbed a lot of moisture and it is cheaper than carpet so can be replaced without incurring prohibitive costs. Chances are the padding has taken in so much water it won’t be salvageable anyway.

In order to get rid of the damp carpet smell that follows water damage, spread baking powder on the carpet and leave it for a couple of days. Then vacuum the baking soda up and the smell should be gone. Similarly, spreading cat sand over the carpet will help to absorb the liquid. Moving the sand around over the carpet will help to get as much sand as possible in contact with the moisture. Sweep off any excess and then vacuum up the rest.

To prevent mildew ensure the floor beneath the carpet is completely dry before returning the carpet back to the room. Give the floor a good clean and make sure the other surfaces in the room have also been dried out. The air conditioner and humidifier running in the room will ensure that all moisture has been removed.

Cleaning a wet carpet and restoring the damage will not be an easy task no matter how much moisture has been absorbed. But the damage can be repaired and can be done yourself, as long as the proper care is carried out. You also have the fall-back of calling in a professional water damage service.

Water Damage Restoration For Floors and Walls

A flood or failed plumbing eventually winds up on the floors and possibly creeping into the walls. Techniques to restore flooring will alter slightly depending on the type of floor covering that has been damaged. However, in each case the big danger is mold or mildew taking hold. The drying process should be started immediately and after that, it's up to you whether you call in the water damage restoration experts or attempt to dry your belongings yourself. If you don't feel comfortable with the work that may be required to comelete the restoration job then you first task is to call in the water damage specialists.

Failing any of these restoration solutions the final option may well be to come up with inexpensive flooring to replace the flooded floor.

Restoring Hardwood Floors After Water Damage

Bearing the brunt of major water damage, hardwood floors will run the risk of suffering severe damage owing to swelling and buckling unless expert restoration is done. A water damage restoration company can control the drying time to fix hardwood floor water damage with a couple of simple techniques such as forcing air through the undersides of the floorboards.

Another successful technique employed by restoration companies is to alleviate the pressure built up by the swollen floorboards by removing a board every few feet. Taking the pressure out of the floor lowers the risk that the boards will buckle during the drying process.

So how should you dry water damaged hardwood floors? The best method is to create good air circulation in the room. Open windows and doors and turn on fans to help move the air around the room faster. By creating air flow in the room the evaporation process will begin, moving out the moisture loaded air and moving in dry air.

Air drying can be a slow process when trying to dry out water damaged floors but it is also the most inexpensive. The trick is to start the process as early as possible after the floor has become wet.

Laminate Water Damage

If your laminate floor has developed a buckle or it is warping to any degree, it could be a sign that there is some kind of water damage affecting it. Water may affect laminate flooring by getting into the subfloor where the dampness affects the laminate bond.

If you find laminate flooring water damage the affected area in the laminate must be lifted and removed. It may then be possible to cut out a replacement piece and fit it in the hole, but this is a tricky operation and will depend on the type of laminate flooring you’re trying to replace such as laminate planks, strips or tiles.

As a little tip with laminate floors, never use a wet mop to clean them because the water can seep through the joins and cause irreparable damage underneath. Rather, use either a vacuum or a broom to keep it clean. You should also avoid using abrasive cleaning liquids on the floor because it can end up scratching the floor.

Laminate floor water damage can also occur as a result of high humidity or sudden changes in humidity from low to high and back to low again. These fluctuations can cause the laminated boards to separate causing large gaps between the boards and can even result in buckling.

Drywall Water Damage

If the water has travelled high enough to start moving up the walls, then you're going to have to prepare yourself for some damage to the drywall.

The first step to restoring water damaged drywall is to pin down the extent of the damage that you have to fix. Your first determination has to be whether the damage is small enough that you can repair it yourself or if it is so extensive you will have to call in the restoration professionals.

If the damage is manageable you will have to cut out the damaged section of the wall. This serves two purposes: first, the wall will have started to swell and break down if the floodwater levels were high for any period of time; second, you want to get ventilation into the wall cavity to dry out the space completely.

Once the remaining wall is dry you can install a drywall patch over the hole. If the hole is a significant size you may need plywood backing. But the drywall replacement job is the same as a normal drywall patch.

If you think your home may be prone to more flooding, it might be an idea to buy a water-resistant drywall patch to avoid having to go through another traumatic water restoration project.

Carpet Water Damage

A nightmare to restore and, if we are talking about water damage from a flood, be prepared to lose the underlay and maybe even the entire carpet too. The job of a good water damage restoration expert is to dry the carpet quickly without destroying the shape of the carpet (it may stretch or shrink if not restored properly).

As a simple rule of thumb, if you are unable to dry your carpet within 48 hours after the water damage occurred the carpet should be discarded. And if the carpet has been contaminated with sewage or gray water, it must definitely be discarded.

So the first thing you need to do is to get as much water out of the carpet as quickly as possible, but do it in a way that won't cause the carpet to go out of shape. The carpet needs to be lifted and, if possible, blowers placed around the room to get the air moving. While the carpets are up have the doors and windows open or, if it is warm, make use of a dehumidifier to ensure the hard structures of the room have been completely dried out.

Only when the room has been completely dried out and the treatment of the carpet has been completed should the carpet be re-installed. Failure to do so will only invite the possibility of mold and mildew to take up residence in your house.

Rug Water Damage

A little easier to restore after water damage than carpet, a water damaged run can absorb a lot of moisture but it can be reasonably easily removed for cleaning and drying. The pile of the rug can harbor bacteria and must be thoroughly washed. In the case of some expensive rugs, specialist restoration work may be required, possibly to repair any color bleeding that may have taken place.

Quick, but controlled, drying of rugs can be achieved by taking them off site and placing them in a dedicated drying room. Proper care by professionals is recommended for treasured rugs to prevent shrinkage or the rugs going out of shape.

Water Damage Restoration

Water damage restoration is a specialist job and although the initial steps of beginning the drying process by promoting good ventilation into the house, it is a good idea to call in the water damage restoration experts as early on in the process as you can.

This article is part of the wide array of detailed information available about fire and water damage restoration on the site.

Conducting Your Own Water Damage Restoration

In order to mitigate the damage caused by either a fire or water disaster there are a few steps you can take. These can all be done while waiting for your fire and water damage restoration experts to arrive.

Water damage - some small restoration tasks to carry out:

• Circulate the air by turning on fans so that things dry quickly.
• If the outside temperature is above 60 degrees, use dehumidifiers if available.
• Mopping and blotting will remove water.
• Wipe furniture and surfaces dry.
• Draperies and curtains that are hanging to the floor should be lifted off the ground and hung up over the drapery rod.
• Get furniture legs off the floor by placing them on blocks of wood. Wet furniture cushions should be propped up to dry.
• Rugs or other floor coverings should be removed from wet areas.
• Drawers and doors should be opened to enhance drying.
• Move photos, paintings, and art objects to a safe, dry location.
• Remove wet fabrics and dry them as soon as possible. Hang furs and leather goods to dry separately at room temperature.
• Remove damp books from shelves and spread out to dry.
  

Important warnings when dealing with water damage

• Do not use an ordinary household vacuum to remove water.
• Do not use electrical appliances while on wet carpet or wet floors.
• Do not go into rooms with standing water if the electricity is still on.
• Do not lift tacked down carpet without professional help. Lifting the carpet incorrectly could promote shrinkage.
• Do not wait to call for fire and water damage restoration professional help. Damage from the water and bacteria growth can begin within hours.
  

Remember, these pieces of advice, warnings and tips are all steps you can take yourself while waiting for fire and water damage restoration experts to get to your place. Often times, your insurance company will pay for the restoration work to be carried out, but this should be confirmed before work begins.

There is quite a lot of stress surrounding any kind of disaster, particularly when you home and loved ones are involved, Fire Water Damage Restoration attempts to explain some of the options that are open to you to make things a little easier.

Coping With A Fire & Water Damage Restoration

Dealing with a disaster such as flood damage or a house fire is a harrowing ordeal in the first place, attempting to go through the process of fire and water damage restoration on your own can prolong the pain. The problem is, failing to get the proper restoration experts in to clean up the fire or water damage can result in even higher costs, or worse, can result in the unnecessary loss of sentimentally valuable objects.

Metal fixtures such as door handles and faucets can suffer permanent damage if they are not properly treated as soon as possible after a fire. Calling in professionals trained to restore fire damages resulting from the effects of heat, smoke and residues from fire and smoke is very important. Often times, there is further damage that requires restoration work that has resulted from the process of attempts to put the fire out. Water damage on top of the fire damage introduces a range of new and unique complications that must also be dealt with.

In attempting to cope with the trauma of the incident ourselves the chances are that we can become easily upset and distracted which leads to accidents. A fire or water damage restoration job should be done as coolly and dispassionately as possible, preferably by someone who is not emotionally attached to the property they are attempting to restore.

Part of the process of a fire or water damage restoration involves assessing what can be salvaged and restored and what must be replaced, the most effective method of cleaning, the condition the property was in before the damage occurred and the full extent of the loss.

Services that you made need to make use of when calling on a fire damage restoration may include the removal of smoke odor, cleaning soot from electronics and/or machinery, toxic chemical detection and removal, noxious gas detection and removal and restoration of surfaces back to their original condition.

When requesting a water damage restoration you can expect a full inspection that may identify faulty construction allowing moisture into the home, poor maintenance and identification of points where humidity may be allowed to get too high. Water damage doesn’t necessarily come as a result of a natural disaster such as a flood or hurricane. Leaky pipes, poor insulation, badly installed windows or plumbing can all be to blame. A good water damage restoration expert should be able to identify the cause of the water damage, advise on the best way to prevent further damage and repair the damage already caused.

The main thing you are trying to achieve is to get some peace of mind so you are able to put the ordeal behind you. A fire water damage restoration team that is efficient and professional will help you to achieve that peace of mind quickly. A fast turnaround means the process of coping with the reality of damage to your house is over as soon as permissible.

There is quite a lot of stress surrounding any kind of disaster, particularly when you home and loved ones are involved, Fire Water Damage Restoration attempts to explain some of the options that are open to you to make things a little easier.