What To Do With Water Damage Cleanup, Chester county?

Water damage cleanup can be overwhelming. When a pipe bursts or there is a sudden flood, how will you react?

Unfortunately, this can happen to any property. The process of water damage cleanup, after an event occurs, must be done properly. ​

If you’re interested in keeping your property, business, or home safe, learn the best water damage cleanup procedures. ​

Why Is Water Damage Cleanup Essential For My Property?

When it comes to water damage cleanup, speed is essential.

​If not addressed right away, water damage could cause structural damage to property.

Clearly, water damage can impact more than the walls and the floor of your home or business. If furniture or other personal items are damaged, they’ll need to be addressed right away.

Remember that allowing water to settle in an area can be a cause of mold and mildew. Ultimately, this can be harmful to the health of inhabitants or co-workers if left to the wayside.

If the water damage is important enough, there could be an insurance claim to make as well. Understanding this process can prove essential to minimizing the financial impact of water damage claim.

Fundamentally, it is key to stay vigilant to water damage in your home and business. Although sometimes a water damage can be hard to detect, it could be silently compromising the structural integrity of your space. 

Ultimately, the health and safety of everyone involved is the most important piece. By prioritizing water damage cleanup, you make sure that this is taken care of. 

Different Types of Water Damage Require Specific Care

There are many different ways to address water damage cleanup. In each situation, there are specific steps that should be taken to contain the problem and restore the area impacted. Let's have a look at the main water damage that we observe.

Plumbing Issues
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One common cause of water damage in a property is a bursting or leaking pipe. Although there are many reasons that a pipe could be damaged or broken, quickly changing temperatures, poor maintenance, and poor installation are a common culprit.

If you notice stains on ceilings, walls, or floors, that should be checked the soonest.

Building Maintenance & Condition
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Alternatively, your property could have a damaged roof or siding, or a poor drainage. This can lead to water damage leaking through broken shingles or improperly maintained areas. To address this, consistently check your roof and sidings for any signs of damage.

Otherwise, window damage or a bad installation can lead directly to water damage. If not installed or sealed properly, water could seep into the home or building. Therefore, ensure that windows are sealed and caulking is regularly reapplied, as necessary, to maintain a proper seal.

Weather Conditions
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Sometimes water damage can be caused by natural circumstances like storms, continuous heavy rains, and floods can cause damage to your property. So, securing your home ahead of the storm season could save your property.

Toilet Backup
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A toilet overflow is a serious water damage that occurs when a blockage prevents water and waste from flushing down the drain. When water and waster overflow the toilet bowl, this type of water damage can have severe consequences. 

In each of these cases, mold or mildew can begin to grow and settle, even invisibly behind walls as well as pathogens for the most involved cases. Therefore, a traditional surface cleanup may not be the appropriate response to the different circumstances we mentioned.

Depending on the nature of the water damage that can be more involved, and its category, you may need to consider a professional water damage cleanup process rather than a DIY process.

There are typically three category of water damage that are more or less severe. The IICRC further separates water intrusion into four classes.

​It is important to note that one category of water damage can be amplified into a more serious category if not remediated quickly. In other words, a wet, warm and enclosed area is the perfect environment for organic pathogens.

Typically, spores quickly multiply and become mold that can move an easy cleanable Category 1 spill into a hazardous and expensive Category 3 situation.

What Are The Water Damages Categories?

Let's take the view of the IICRC:

• ​Class 1: A small volume of water has flowed onto materials with low porosity. This class of water damage requires a very light mitigation.

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• Class 2: A more significant volume of water impacts an area. The materials impacted by water are medium to high porosity. Therefore, there is a greater absorption of water into the materials. In this case, the water damage cleanup process will be more involved due to the volume of water that needs to be removed and the drying time. ​

• Class 3: A larger volume of water is absorbed by highly porous materials. Water damage is caused by leaks from storms and floods or a sewer backup. Typically, the interior of a building is impacted. Water soaks an entire flooring area.

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• Class 4: Water impacts building materials and the integrity of plaster, masonry, wooden structure. For instance flood or a severe sewer backup that would go through the floor or walls. The affected areas require a more involved cleanup process that would involve special methods of extraction and equipment, and a longer drying time. ​

Based on the classification and category of the water damage, professional teams can engage the appropriate steps to respond to the mitigation and clean up requirements. Each class and category will require different equipment and skill sets. Therefore, traditional cleaning services and procedures may simply not be enough.

In some cases, you will need to mitigate the water loss before starting the cleaning process. Depending on the severity, damaged materials must be removed, as well as personal belongings.

​Some cases may require a thorough disinfection, air quality control, and deodorization. Soaking materials offer an ideal environment for microbes, fungi, and pathogens to thrive. Depending on the water damage class, dehumidifiers and drying equipment may be required. 

How To Best Deal With A Water Damage Cleanup?

Water damage should always be taken seriously and immediately. Due to the impact caused to structures and belongings, it is important to have a water mitigation and clean up immediately after an event. 

• If possible, it is important to shut off the water source unless the water is caused by storm or heavy rains.

 

• Always try to make sure there is no opportunity created for an additional electrical hazard.

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• Start mopping the excess of water

 

• Get your belongings in a safe place.

 

• Remove carpets and rugs and place them in a dry area.

 

• Open doors and windows to let the air dry the wet area.

 

• Open cabinets and leave, wipe the excess water, and let the air dry the wet area.

 

• Continue mopping the excess of water.

 

• Depending on the severity, if you have water damaged your ceilings, you should immediately secure the area, and try to identify the source if you can. Try to repair immediately. If repairs are more involved, contact professionals to help replace and fix issues.

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• Use air dryers and dehumidifiers that will remove moisture.​

 

• Use air scrubbers to remove smells.

Address Water Damage Cleanup Immediately

We’ve established that water damage can impact any property, at almost any time. So, are you ready to take care of the problem yourself?
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Maybe so, and maybe not.

​However, when it comes to water damage cleanup, it is often best left to the professionals. When water damage gets serious, the approach must be serious as well. 
But, why?

​Well, there are a few reasons. First of all, our team is able to save precious time. Time equals less cost in damages, a healthier space, and less downtime. If water damage is near electrical wiring, it can take you out of harm’s way, too.

If personal property is affected by the water damage, a professional team is prepared to help you salvage your items and belongings. Any items that are salvageable would be taken care of by a team of professionals. 

When it comes down to it, water damage cleanup can simply be overwhelming. When trying to take care of your personal belongings, insurance claims, and more, it can just pile up. A professional cleanup team can take some of that weight off of your shoulders. 

Importantly, a homeowner or property owner should keep themselves safe. When talking of mold and mildew, these can lead to long-term health problems if not dealt with properly. Do things right the first time through, while minimizing risk!

Residential water damage and commercial water damage cleanup are approached with a similar mindset; safety is the priority. 

Realistically, there is no time to waste if water damage is present in a property. The sooner it is cleaned, dried, and repaired, the less damage to space.