Your toilet overflowed for over an hour in the upstairs bathroom, then flowed down to the next bathroom soaking two bathroom floors now. As the water escapes from the bathrooms, it goes into the hallway and has now drenched two bedroom carpets! Not only that, the ceiling and hardwood floors are buckling, the thermostat malfunctioned, the fire alarm got soaked and the basement ceiling is damp with the seepage from laundry room. Now that's what you would call a major water disaster.
While this scenario may be a bit of an exaggeration, this is still an example of some ways that the house and the items inside it would need extensive water damage restoration. Imagining some situations that may result in your house covered with water like calamities or domestic accidents is something that you would not even want to think of. However, it is important to always be prepared for this eventuality. In some extreme cases, it may be best to ask the professionals for assistance in doing water damage restoration.
When having another person do the work however, it is important to keep these things in mind:
1. Restoration Work - Determine how extensive the damage that has been done to your home. Water damage restoration experts should check this first before going on with the restoration work so that it will be clear between the two of you what particular work should be done and how much this would cost you. You have the right to have this information disclosed to you when requested. After all, it is your home that you are talking about.
Make sure also that the contractor you are hiring is licensed, insured, and possesses the needed certifications for mold and mildew treatment.
2. Replacement - Always remember; when some replacements need to be made in the course of water damage restoration, don't rush things as the procedure takes place. Allow the house have time to dry even if it is very inconvenient to stay in a house where parts of the wall or ceiling are under repair. The contractor will check and tell you which things need to be disposed of and replaced with a new one. This is for everybody's safety.
3. Insurance - When a water disaster strikes, having homeowner insurance could be the only thing that will save you from having to use up all of your savings for the water damage restoration. Ask your insurance company how much of the damage they can cover. If you are just renting out a place, the owner of the house is sometimes responsible for the cost of some repairs especially when these pertain to work on the house structures.
4. Dry out and dehumidifying - You may start running the air conditioner to help take lot of moisture out of the house. Be sure to change the filters often because they will clog more with the dust and especially when mold and mildew have developed inside. A good preventive measure for this is to pin filter media over the return air grill as a pre-filter to catch dust.
If a dehumidifier is available, this is could also be a lot of help in lowering down the humidity in your house. If you are letting a water damage restoration company do the work, they have the necessary equipment for this.
Richard Barthallo is a water service advocate for
Atlanta Water Damage Restoration and
Water Damage Restoration
