When your home or office floods, the aftermath can seem very overwhelming.   Whether you leave a tap open, have leaky plumbing, a ruptured pipe, or storm-related flooding if appropriate measures are not taken the consequential damage can wreak havoc on your wallet.  Often, your insurance will cover the costs associated with professional cleanup, so it’s important for you to know your coverage and the types of water-related damage covered under your policy.

Differences between Water Damage and Flooding

If you’re confused about the differences between water damage and flooding, you are not alone.  Flooding can be the result of natural and manmade causes. Depending on the severity, a flooded home or any property can be affected inside and out. During heavy downpours, inefficient drainage or poor quality soil can lead to oversaturated yards. While this can be prevented somewhat with adequate soil composition and by adding plants that have a high water tolerance, it can still do costly damage.

Flooding inside a property usually results from leaky plumbing, burst pipes, and faulty appliances. Areas that are commonly affected are kitchens, laundry areas, bathrooms, and lower level floors. Other causes of flooding inside a home or office stem from the rising waters from nearby lakes and rivers during heavy rain.

Often, flooding can occur quickly. It can take minutes or even seconds for a room to fill with water from a burst pipe or even an overflowing toilet.  Sadly, some property owners have been away at the time of the flooding, and the resulting damage becomes even more significant and as a consequence more costly.

Water damage is the result of the flooding after the water recedes or is drained away. It usually appears in the form of discolored and damaged walls and floors.  Additionally,  mold can grow rampantly after a flood if left untreated.

Your risk of water damage can be reduced with yearly inspections of the 3 primary causes of damaging floods.

A roof inspection can help you detect leaks and other areas that retain water.  Additionally, appliance checkups can reveal faulty parts that can otherwise cause damaging leaks.  Finally, a yearly checkup of the plumbing can reveal leaking or weak pipes that may be prone to bursting.

These differences are the reasons why most insurance companies consider flood and water damage to be different. Even though most insurance covers water damage, you should read the fine print. You may discover that your insurance only covers some types of damage and you may have to pay for the remainder from your pocket.

How Professional Water Damage Removal and Restoration Services can Help

If these issues are ignored, you will need professional help to repair the damage and clean up the mess. Here is a step-by-step guide on what happens during a water and flood damage cleanup operation:

Step 1 – Inspection

The first thing a professional water damage and restoration expert will do is inspect the house from top to bottom depending on the severity of the damage. This is done with appropriate tools and instruments that help them determine the extent of the damage and how much water they need to extract and mitigate.

Once they have evaluated the extent of the damage, they will let you know how long the cleanup will take and the plan to restore your property to a safe and inhabitable environment.

Step 2 – Removal of Stagnant Water

Flood waters that are ignored for too long tend to stagnate leading to mold growth and irreparable damage to a building’s foundation and walls. Water restoration service contractors use powerful vacuums to ensure thick sludge can be sucked up completely.

Step 3 – Preventing additional damage

A professional cleanup crew knows that the longer the water or flood damage is left untreated, the more damage occurs.   To ensure this does not happen, dehumidification tools may be used. These prevent mold growth by wicking away leftover moisture from receding water. Depending on the model they use, a commercial dehumidifier can remove up to 300 pints of water a day and remove excess water vapor from the air.

Step 4 – Drying and Containment

Once the stagnant water has been cleaned up and the dehumidifiers have been used, the water mitigation specialists move on to the next phase.  Areas that are still wet will be taped off to ensure they can suck up or evaporate all traces of water from the affected area. To ensure complete removal, heavy-duty fans are used to dry up every corner of the area. This will be followed by containment procedures.

Containment is crucial and usually occurs along with the drying process since it allows cleanup crews to dry the area as quickly as possible. It also helps them control the environment inside to prevent further damage and to ensure complete water removal.

Step 5 – Monitoring

As the area is drying the cleanup crew will continue monitoring the dehumidifiers to ensure they are not discharging moisture into the air making the area too humid.

Step 6 – Completion

After all of the steps above are complete, the cleanup crew will remove all the equipment and debris from their efforts on the affected areas. At this point, the restoration process can begin.

Restoration:

Once the area is dried, the restoration work begins.  The restoration crew will evaluate the remaining damage.  In some instances, the carpets may need to be removed; wood floors may require resurfacing, or even replacement and walls that are beyond repair may require removal and replacement.

The restoration experts will let you know the best options to fully restore your property to a like-new condition ensuring the safe habitation of the premises.

Water damage from floods or burst plumbing can create serious health concerns for people and pets. This is why it is important to have a licensed professional evaluate, mitigate and restore your property properly.  If the proper techniques are not used, the risks of mold growing on the surfaces and crevices increase. Additionally, prolonged damage can compromise the structural integrity of even the strongest foundation. If your property suffers a flood or water damage, contact B+M Restorations the water extraction and mitigation specialists in Maryland.