Water damage can ruin your home. See what you do to prepare for potential damage, and plan reconstruction after water damage
Good quality home reconstruction after water damage is key to returning your life to normal. One of the most damaging and devastating things you can experience as a homeowner is water damage.
Whether it is due to flooding, burst pipes, sewer backups, roof damage due to severe storms or a leaky toilet when you are out of town – all can cause major water damage to your home.
Most homeowners are worried about getting their house back to normal and looking good. They think more about redecorating the space than restoring the damage. But it’s not just a matter of cleaning up the water, re-painting and replacing some carpet.
As expert in water damage and reconstruction, we understand the desire to restore to normal a quickly as possible. We also understand the importance of doing things properly to keep costs down and keep long-term effects, both as far as further damage, as well as health risks, to a minimum.
Further, your home is a major investment. Protecting that investment is important. Short-cutting on proper repair can negatively impact your homes value down the road, as well as lead to future problems. It is tempting to take money provided by insurance coverage to restore your home to it’s previous condition and try and stretch it to make additional upgrades and changes. However, if taking the same money and making it cover more, you are most likely using lower quality materials and workmanship. So be careful. We are not telling you to avoid upgrade and changes.
We are just suggesting that these upgrades may be out-of-pocket expenses to you; probably less costly than starting from scratch because construction is already being done, but just beware anyone who tells you they can wrap several upgrades in for the same price.
It is important to have a plan of action and know what you should do if your house floods. In fact, taking swift action can significantly improve your ability to reduce the costs of repair.
There are 5 key steps to your plan:
As mentioned above, your first priority should be to make sure that your home is safe. That means keeping on top of those leaky ceilings!
The problem is that wood that has been submerged in water has likely absorbed a large amount of water. Rebuilding too quickly after a flood without insuring everything is dried out can cause continuing problems such as mold growth, insect infestations, and deterioration of the wood and wall coverings.
Replacing these materials is safer than allowing infectious organisms to saturate the air.
Home damage restoration can be as simple as vacuuming up water and drying out a room, or it can involve rebuilding entire sections of your home.
Of course, Five Star Restoration is expert at water damage repair and restoration, and we are glad to step in and manage your repair and restoration. However, if you wait to call us, here’s what you should do after you experience water damage to help reduce the amount of damage spread and make home damage restoration clean-up and repair easier.
Your first call should be to your insurance company. You need to know exactly what you’re covered for. Once you are in touch with your insurance representative, the first thing you need to do is disclose the state of your home.
If you have already called Five Star Restoration, we are happy to interface with your insurance company for you, and take over from here. We have experience in understanding the information your insurance company needs, and the types of coverage offered. We can help you maximize your covered loss benefits.
Make sure you take diligent notes regarding the conversation and follow our insurance representatives direction about whether to wait for an adjuster to inspect the property before making repairs. You will most likely find new damage that will require multiple conversations, so be sure to document everything.
The insurance company will send an adjuster to look at and assess the damage and determine if it is a covered loss. Document the value of each and every item you can think of and take as many photos as possible before, during, and after cleanup. This will help the adjuster when he or she is able to come assess the damage.
Take pictures of all water-damaged property. Whether you have insurance or not, before you remove anything that has been damaged by water, fully document the damage by taking photos or videos. Digital photographs are best as they are easily transferred and can be quickly sent to insurance agents or repair professionals.
Remember, the last thing you want to do (and it can be tough considering you want to get out soaked furniture to fight mold growth) is to start removing water or making repairs before you document the damage. If you have insurance or are hiring a professional service, this could potentially cause issues with your coverage or cause further issues with the repair process.
Follow these instructions to help your insurance process runs smoothly.
Mold can begin developing after the first 24 hours of a water saturation, and once it has started growing it can be difficult to remove. The quicker you remove items from water and begin drying them, the less likely they are to be lost to mold, but it’s always best to err on the side of caution and have a professional assess the situation.
Water damage creates the perfect environment for mold and poor indoor air quality, causing hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rashes. If your home damage restoration isn’t done properly the contamination from bacteria or mold caused by water damage can affect your family’s health, not to mention your home’s structure.
Determine what is salvageable and throw away anything that is too damaged or no longer safe to use. Be aware that you may need to remove flooring, drywall, and insulation to prevent mold and mildew from spreading in your home. Furniture may also need to be dried out, cleaned or thrown away depending on the level of water damage.
Calling Five Star Restoration, a professional experienced and certified water damage restoration and mold removal company to help is the best thing you can do. It’s important to act quickly because this will help stop further saturation, damage, and mold spores from growing.
When it comes to mold and your home, you will want the peace of mind that comes with hiring a home damage restoration professional. In cases where the mold growth may have already started, hiring a professional is the best way to go. If you need pros to help get your home back to normal, water damage restoration services are where you should start.
The aftermath of water damage in your home from flooding, the repair and restoration, can typically take the longest amount of time. Flooring often needs to be replaced, walls need to be restored, broken possessions are often in need of repair, etc.
Five Star is a licensed provider or reconstruction contracting services. With Five Star, experts in water removal and water damage clean-up, as well as reconstruction repair to return your home to normal, the process is seamless and you have only one company to deal with. This means less stress, lower risk of finger pointing, and probably a faster return to normal.
Here’s a list of items to be checked off during an extensive water damage repair process.
Note: To prevent further long term damage, permanent repairs should be done only after the building is thoroughly dry, which may be weeks after the initial damage.
All water-damaged carpeting must be removed along with the underpad, especially if there is any natural fiber in it. If the carpet is made of synthetic material it can’t serve as a food source for mold, but the subfloor is going to be wood or OSB (oriented strand board, which is a composite wood product) and it’s likely that it will be soaked through.
Even if you have tile, which doesn’t absorb water, the wood substrate will never completely dry out with tile over the top of it. Any wet wood or OSB will lead to mold. Get rid of it.
After your contractor has removed all the drywall and insulation, leave it open so that the wall cavity can dry out completely.
At Five Star Restoration, our in-house contractors are the perfect combination of skilled contractors plus water damage repair experts, perfect to return your property to it’s pre-damage condition. We take the hassle out of an already stressful situation by having the necessary personal easily accessible to you under one roof.
Water damage at any level can be stressful for you and your family. That’s why the professionals at Five Star Restoration are here to help you every step of the way.
Five Star specializes in water damage restoration and flood or natural disaster repairs. With our background in remodeling and renovation, we can get you repaired and restored and help you safely enjoy your home once again.
Call us today at (951) 368-2227.
Tags: home reconstruction after water damage, water damage repair, home repair after water damage, professional water damage repair, water damage contractor
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