Last updated on February 13th, 2024 at 05:15 am
If you’re seeing plumbing leaks and flooding resulting from broken pipes or bad weather, it’s a problem that you must tackle immediately as a homeowner. Problems can progress if you fail to seek water damage mitigation services when necessary. Every year, disasters like hurricanes wreak havoc in Orlando and cause water damage that destroys homes. Here is a guide that can help you take steps when attending to water damage and help save your house.
Water Mitigation Defined
When an area is flooded with standing or stagnant water, homeowners call for Orlando water damage mitigation services to remove the water. Water is usually absorbed by soft materials such as carpets and fabric. Water mitigation services extract soaked-up water from these materials.
It’s important not to mistake restoration for mitigation. Water mitigation is a method performed before restoration. Contractors employ commercial-grade equipment to suck water away from the property.
Causes Of Water Damage
Before restoration begins, a public adjuster in Orlando will need to inspect your home to identify the cause of the damage. There are a few ways that your water pipes can break. When they do, it can impact not only the structure but the other contents of the home. Pipes, where water travels throughout the home, can break due to the following:
- Flood damage
- Basement that was flooded
- Dishwasher blockage
- Natural disasters
- Broken toilet line
- Frozen pipeline
- Damaged roof
- Broken nozzle or water supply line
- Gutter or downspout debris
A thorough inspection is required to identify how to remove the water from the affected area. A restoration project can’t proceed until certain factors have been identified during a water damage mitigation. The contractor will need to find out the duration of the water leak, the severity of the damage, and how water is escaping from the source, such as plumbing issues.
Professionals will also use instruments for moisture detection to figure out the next steps. An expert in water damage mitigation will explain the process in a way you will understand to keep you updated every step of the way.
Water Mitigation Process
During a water damage mitigation, professionals will follow these basic steps to save your property from water damage.
Stopping Water Flow
Before anything else, the water flow must be stopped at the source. The process always begins here to ensure the halting of the damage. If the problem were caused by flooding due to heavy rains, the water flow would stop once the natural disaster has passed. But flooding caused by damaged pipelines must be turned off first by a plumber.
The water mitigation team can begin the process when the flow of water has stopped. If the damage caused is beyond repair, it may well be worth contacting professional restoration services to develop a fast and safe solution to your problem, they will have the experience to make the most difficult of days easier.
Assessment For Mitigation Requirements
Professionals will then asses the water damage from categories 1 to 3. Category 1 is recognized as clean water from faucets or broken pipes or overflowing tubs and washing machines. Category 2 is classified as grey water with contaminants such as debris and chemicals. Category 3 is known as black water, which contains sewage or other bodies of water like sea or river water.
The mitigation process needs to identify the cleanliness of the water to determine the level of restoration that needs to be done. They would need to ensure that restoration efforts are enough to restore the original condition of the property. It will also help them decide how much PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) gear they need.
Removal Of Water
The experts will now use special equipment to siphon flood water from the homes, including soaked materials. They will ensure to dry the areas to avoid further damage and stop spreading it from other rooms or houses. The equipment used is for vacuuming, pumping, and dehumidifying. Getting rid of the water is essential to minimize bacteria and mold growth.
Contaminated Material Removal And Sanitation
The team will get the contaminated material out of the house, such as carpets, curtains, drywall, tiles, and others that cannot be saved or restored. The areas must undergo sanitation or disinfection. The process must adequately clean affected areas to eliminate bacteria and harmful microbes. By then, the property will be ready for restoration.
Professionals will have different methods in place, but the mentioned are the common steps they take to ensure that water, ruined items, and contaminants are removed before the proper water damage restoration begins.
In Conclusion
Water mitigation can be done by calling an expert to assess the damage in your home. As the homeowner, you can regularly check for any water leaks in various rooms and areas. Suppose you find abnormal signs or causes of leaks. In that case, you must immediately inform a professional because they are experienced in finding the causes and know exactly how to fix the problem.
