Having a flooded home is the last thing you want, especially in the middle of a family gathering. Imagine yourself enjoying and having a good time with your friends or family and the pipe bursts.

Unlike a WiFi spy camera that captures everything that goes on even behind closed doors, water damage causes are very hard to identify. If you’re not an expert in water damage mitigation and restoration, then it’s best to leave this colossal task to the experts.

However, it does help to know the basics of water damage when it comes to mitigation and restoration. Here are a few:

1. Call in the experts right after a water damage

When you see a leaking faucet or a minimally flooded floor, the first instinct might be to relax a bit because it is just that – minimal damage. However, what homeowners don’t know is that there could be underlying issues that are way more severe than what you see surface-level.

For instance, when carpeting or wood gets wet, it can be a breeding ground for mold. Homeowners will also have a 24 to 48-hour window to prevent it. Moreover, the only option to prevent mold from attacking wet things, furniture, and home structure is by drying it. Unfortunately, some don’t have the right equipment to dry thick and various materials fast.

Therefore, the most important and obvious thing you should bear in mind is knowing when to call the experts. Make sure to call in the experts when you see telltale signs of water damage. Here are a few:

• Musty and mildew smell
• Stains and discoloration
• Cracking, bubbling, and peeling paint
• Mold
• Unusually high water bill
• Puddles of water
• Sounds of running water

2. Know the categories of water damage

Once you call in the experts, the first step in determining what type of water damage you have is to know which category your situation belongs to. Every water damage level depends on the severity of each situation.

Here are the three water damage categories:

• Loss of clean water
• Grey water from toilet bowls or any water discharge from washing machines or dishwashers
• Contaminated water from sewage systems, toilet leaks, or any external water sources like seawater, rise of ground surface water from rivers, or other water-related natural disasters

Consider that water damage mitigation is not a permanent solution

3. Water mitigation comes first before restoration

In the event of water damage, even water damage restoration companies ensure to mitigate the damage initially. This is to prevent further damage or losses. However, take note that water damage mitigation is not a permanent solution. This is only temporary and its primary goal is to avoid more disasters from the water damage.

Here’s how water mitigation works:

• Remove drywall, flooring, damaged furniture, and materials
• Save, clean, and disinfect furniture and materials that are salvageable
• Ensure the home’s structure is still stable
• Extract water
• Dry wet furniture, materials, and the entire home
• Install board-up windows, tarps, and other means of protecting the home

4. Experts perform water restoration after mitigating damage

Any water damage professional knows that water damage mitigation and restoration go hand in hand. Right after the mitigation process, water damage restoration comes next. The main purpose of restoring the home is to return its condition to the pre-water damage loss.

However, experts can’t perform the restoration before mitigation. After everything is dried up, cleaned, disinfected, and protected, it’s time to restore some rundown materials. Here are a few steps on water damage restoration:

• Replace damaged flooring and walls
• Repair roof damage
• Eradicate mold
• Conduct moisture and humidity testing

5. Observe safety precautions

Although calling the experts will keep you safe, homeowners must still practice safety precautions when dealing with water from unknown sources. This might be toxic water that can contain silt, pesticides, or other external health hazards.

If you have been exposed to water from damage, make sure to always wash with anti-microbial soap. Immediately change your clothes and wash them off from any harmful hazards in the water. And make sure to separate them from your other clothes so you don’t contaminate the clean ones.

Last but not least, observe health safety by avoiding touching your mouth, nose, or eyes when exposed to water during water damage. If you have cuts that were exposed to water damage, ensure that you take care of them by putting on some antibiotic cream.

Wrap Up

Water damage can be a pain in the neck. But with this knowledge, you can respond quickly to water damage. However, always make sure that you rely on water damage experts to totally repair the loss and damage.

About Lily Brooks

Lily Brooks is a passionate blogger and informative content writer who writes about home improvement, travel, and technology. She is currently working with EyeSpySupply, which offers a wide range of spy equipment, including <a href="https://www.eyespysupply.com/complete-wireless-covert-systems.html" target="_blank">wifi spy camera</a>, nanny cams, GPS trackers, voice-activated audio recorders and more.