Water damage is an incredibly common problem for Americans, with 14,000 Americans a day facing a water damage emergency. The problem is only growing, too. A recent study by Verisk Analytics discovered that claims stemming from water damage and leaks are growing while other insurance claims are declining in frequency.
Though the problem is occurring more often, many home and business owners are likely finding themselves dealing with it for the first time. If you’re experiencing water damage, you may be wondering what comes next or how your home or business can go back to normal. A water damage company, like United Water Restoration, is your best option to put up a solid defense and offense against water damage.
Recognizing Signs of Water Damage
Contrary to what some may believe, not all water damage is immediately noticeable. Some water damage can’t even be seen by the average person as it can accrue from a pipe burst and stay hidden behind a wall. Here are a few tips to help you recognize water damage in your home or business:
Musty Smell: Again, not all water damage can be immediately seen. If the water damage is hidden behind an item or wall it can go unnoticed for sometime. In this instance, your nose will be your best indicator. Water damage can destroy wood, furniture, and carpets with its touch. It can also leave behind an unpleasant, musty smell. This smell can either be powerful and affect the entire room or be contained and only be present in a portion of the room. If you are smelling the familiar scent of water damage, this is a key indicator that it may be time to contact a water damage company.
Damp Floor or Puddles of Water: It can be incredibly easy to dismiss a simple puddle of water or a damp floor as something minor. However, if you clean the affected area and the problem persists, there may be a leak you’re not seeing. It could be a fluke, some spilled water from a cup, so try to clean it up first. If the problem persists, though, you likely have a leak.
Warped Wood or Ceilings: This issue is one of the most obvious ones. If your furniture or ceiling is becoming warped and/or stained, it is a very obvious sign of water damage. If your ceiling is bubbling, flaking, or warping, it is recommended that you contact a water damage company immediately, and, depending on the severity, avoiding that room.
The Water Restoration Process
Once you’ve noticed water damage in your home or business, you should contact a water damage company, like United Water Restoration. The water restoration process can be lengthy, but it is the only way to ensure your home or business’ safety and health. The United Water Restoration process is as follows:
Step 1: Emergency Contact
Once you notice water damage you should immediately contact a water damage company. United Water Restoration’s emergency hotline, (800) 430-5838, is open 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. Contacting our hotline will place you in direct contact with one of our professional, certified technicians in as little as 15 minutes.
This step of the process is only to get an understanding of what you may be facing. Our water damage company also offers water loss remote visual inspections to help us gain a better understanding of your issue. Before the call is over, our technicians will schedule an onsite assessment. Our time greatly depends on your local area’s needs for a water damage company. If your incident is isolated, we can be there within a few hours.
Step 2: Analysis and Assessment
Once our technician is able to confirm an appointment based off your schedule, we can have boots on the ground and better assess the situation. During this step, our technician will do a sweep of your property to analyze and assess the damage.
United Water Restoration is a water damage company that takes pride in our work and focuses heavily on customer support. While our technician is there, they will be more than willing to answer your questions. They will fully cover their analysis and the next steps.
Step 3: Water Removal
Once we fully assess your property we can begin the process of returning it to normalcy. Depending on the severity of the water damage, we will bring equipment to help remove excess water. Our technicians will use equipment needed to remove excess water. Equipment like industrial vacuums that are designed to absorb water or pumps to help clear extreme cases of excess water.
Step 4: Dehumidification and Drying
After our technicians are able to remove the excess water from the room we can begin on dehumidifying and drying the room. Our water damage company brings in industrial dehumidifiers that pull the moisture from the room and prevent further damage from occurring.
One major concern after water damage is mold. Mold is a specific kind of fungi that can grow even after excess water is removed. All it needs is oxygen, moisture, and organic material to thrive. This part of the process is all about removing the potential for mold to spread in the affected areas.
Step 5: Sanitization of Affected Areas
After we eliminate the potential for mold to spread we set off on sanitizing the room. Even after a room is dried and excess water is removed, unpleasant conditions can still exist. Specifically, that musty and moldy smell we mentioned earlier in this blog.
Our technicians will cleanse affected objects such as furniture, rugs, etc. They will sanitize the room with antimicrobial treatments that prevent any microorganisms, such as fungi, from growing.
Step 6: Restoration
The final step of any water damage restoration company will be the restoration step. This step aims to fix the issue from its source and prevent any further damage to your home or business. Our technicians are equipped to handle even the most extreme catastrophe and have one goal in mind: bringing your home or business back to pre-loss conditions.
United Water Restoration is a water damage company with various locations around the United States. Our emergency hotline is available 24/7 and can begin the process of bringing your home or business back to normal. We would love to hear from you and help you figure out your current situation. Please feel free to contact us or reach out through our hotline at (800) 430-5838.
We provide services in Ormond Beach, Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, Daytona Beach, Florida, Orlando, Florida, Tampa, Florida, Melbourne, Florida, and many other locations around Florida!