There are many ways that water damage can occur within a home including floods, leaks, a broken pipe, or high humidity, and if water damage is discovered in your home, it is important to have the water removed and begin the restoration process within 48 hours.  By reacting quickly to water damage, you can help prevent rust and mold from forming in your home.  It is best to call a professional to handle water damage restoration because their services will help prevent excessive damage and decrease the risks of bacteria, fungus, or mold growing in the house.  They have the proper tools and equipment to effectively remove water and dry out your home.

The drying process is a critical step in the restoration of any water-damaged property. Our experienced technicians have perfected this process to ensure your property is dry and safe as quickly as possible.

The following are some steps for effective drying to begin as you await professional water damage restoration services.

• Naturally Moving Air: The first step is to get air moving naturally by opening doors and windows for better air circulation.  Closet and cabinet doors should also be opened to help with the drying.  This method works best in low humidity.
• Mechanically Moving Air:Using high speed fans will increase the air circulation for faster drying.  These fans can be bought or rented and if there is water damage in the HVAC system, do not use your central air conditioning or furnace blower.
• Dehumidifying: This is an important part of the drying process because it helps remove the water vapor from the air.  Dehumidifiers are available in large and portable sizes and they are the most effective when used in a room with the doors and windows shut to prevent more moisture from building.
• Pumping Water: Sump pumps are important pieces of equipment for continuously moving excess water away from the house.  Sump pumps can be rented to remove standing water but having a permanent sump pump installed is more effective.
• Shop Vacs: Shop vacs are built specifically to remove excess water with certain types designed to remove water from carpets and rugs.  Do not use a regular household vacuum to remove water.
• Remove Soaked Objects: Furniture and wet rugs that are soaked through should be put in the sun to help eliminate the moisture that has built up inside them and linoleum or sheet vinyl flooring should be removed for better evaporation.
• Absorb Moisture:Desiccant materials including silica gel, calcium oxide, and clay can be used to absorb moisture.  Place wet items along with desiccant materials in air tight containers and seal them.  It may take days or weeks to completely extract the moisture out of wet items using desiccant materials.

When water damage is discovered in your home, the first priority should be to contact a professional restoration company for water damage restoration services.  In the meantime, following these drying tips will help you get a good start on the drying process which could help prevent mold & mildew from forming.  Make sure to act quickly in the event of water damage and contact a trusted professional for the most effective water damage restoration services. If an unfortunate disaster does happen to you, leave services such as RestorationMaster professionalsand mold remediation to the professionals.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.