Water Damage Restoration Process After a Flood

3/29/2017 (Permalink)

When your home or business gets flooded from a storm what are the steps you need to take to get your property back in shape?

Flood damage caused by man-made or natural disasters are an unavoidable tragedy that often leave business owners of commercial property in a state of despair and loss of assets. The most common types of flooding are usually unexpected and cause major water damage include flash flooding, coastal flooding, engineering issues, overbank flooding, and ice jam flooding, to name a few.

Following a disaster caused by rising and standing flood waters, companies that offer water damage restoration services are needed to determine the proper procedures of returning the affected commercial properties to their original state. The steps of those procedures can include (but are not limited to) the following:

Step 1. Inspecting the Damage The first steps to restore flood damages caused by water is to perform a loss assessment and evaluation of affected materials of the property affected. This inspection is performed by using specialized water detecting equipment such as infrared tools, probes, and other water sensing devices.

Step 2. Water Extraction The second step to repairing flood water damage is to remove and dry any existing water or moisture that is either standing or causing an area to remain damp. Failing to remove water can lead to mold build up as well as further damage to structural materials. This step is the most critical as the longer the water remains in the structure, the higher the damage there will be to clean up and repair.

Step 3. Clean Damages The third step to restoring a structure after a flood would be to sanitize and deodorize the damaged areas. This step is completed by using equipment such as air movers, dehumidifiers, wood floor drying systems, carpet vacuum cleaners, and sub-floor drying systems. Flood water can contain contaminants and sewage backup which poses a risk to the health of individuals if not appropriately removed.

Step 4. Rebuild Structures The last step to restoring property after flood damages have incurred is to assess the remaining structure after it has been properly dried and cleans and finally make necessary repairs for rebuilding any lost structural integrity to its former appearance and quality.

Some other methods to think about in preventing water damage that may occur in the future would be to replace the previous materials (such as carpet, wood floors, and walls) with fast drying materials that include stone and concrete. Building the structure at a higher elevation and installing electrical systems to be at a higher elevation is also an option to preventing as much damage to property.