Reconstruction In Your Home After Water Damage or Fire Damage

When your home or business has been affected by flooding or a fire, the mess that’s left behind presents a formidable cleanup task. Quite often, there are also damages that affect the structural integrity of the building, and sometimes those damages are hidden. As you begin the cleanup process, either you or the professionals you’re working with will notice the need for reconstruction restoration services.

 The Biggest Signs of Damage

Some of the most difficult damages to handle are related to water. As moisture comes into direct contact with walls, ceilings, and floors, it affects drywall, wood, paint, carpets, and wiring. A little bit of moisture in a small area is repairable, but when the water damage is spread over a larger area, reconstruction is necessary. The materials in homes and businesses are affected in different ways:

• Saturated carpets lead to mold growth and decontamination (the material breaks about into layers)
• Swelling wood buckles and warps or begins to rot
• Paint bubbles up and peels away from the surface beneath it
• Wiring shorts out, leading to shock or fire potential

Mold growth is nearly always a problem after flooding and is often a concern after firefighters use water to put out fires. As mold and mildew spread, they also compromise the integrity of building structures.

Respond Quickly  

All signs of water and fire damage are cause for concern whether the actual damage is apparent or not. For example, cupboards that pull away from the wall may be hiding mold growth and swollen wood in the wall behind. Left untreated, this damage could spread further throughout the building and increase the necessary reconstruction work.

The risks associated with structural damages, and especially unseen damages, are significant enough that reconstruction restoration services should be scheduled after any major flooding or fire situation.

Take a Moment to Breathe

Evacuating your home or business place because of fire or flooding happens quickly. When danger threatens, an immediate response keeps you and your loved ones or associates safe. After the immediate threat has been resolved and when you have the go-ahead from emergency services, those first few moments of return can be very emotional.

The cozy atmosphere of your home may be completely gone. The tidy appeal of an office space or fine-tuned organization of your business has also been disrupted. Where should you start? How can you get back to normal?

Call Reconstruction Restoration Professionals

Your very first step should be scheduling reconstruction restoration services. Don’t put this important step off for even a single day. It doesn’t take long for mold to begin growing. Next, use all available resources to dry out the building. Open the windows, crank up your heater or air conditioner, and install fans. Just be careful to avoid spreading moisture to unaffected areas of the building. If you’re not sure how to protect unaffected areas of the building, ask the reconstruction professionals for advice.

Contact Insurance Advisors and Adjusters

Your next step is to call your insurance company and an adjuster. These professionals will help you assess the damage to your property and determine your best steps forward. Make sure you take a lot of pictures of the damage, so you can share that information with the insurance company. Your insurance company may send their own adjuster; in some situations, hiring your own adjuster is also advised, so you can be sure your own interests are represented.

Monitor Reconstruction Progress

During restoration services, you may need to leave your home until the work has been completed. The noise, temperatures, and drafty conditions often make it difficult to carry on with your existing lifestyle. When this is the case, it’s a good idea to stop in and talk to reconstruction technicians, so you know how well the cleanup process is going. Make sure you and the reconstruction professionals have easy contact with each other.

However bad the damage was, working with the professionals providing reconstruction restoration services is a great way to get your life back in order. Contact United Water Restoration today for more information about recovering from fire and water damage.