Water damage can disrupt your life in many ways and can be one of the most stressful times. The eight following steps are some thoughts and ideas from my 24 years in the industry. I hope to help make the process easier, provide insight into items that may help ensure the damage does not expand further than it should, and gauge whether your project is being managed well.
1. A proper survey or inspection.
The first step in executing any water damage restoration project is to survey the entire project properly. Every home and business presents unique challenges, risks, and technical requirements to restore your property to a pre-loss condition safely. Water can and will travel further than you think and will follow the path of least resistance; it is imperative to inspect EVERYWHERE the water may have traveled, especially adjacent rooms, wall cavities / interstitial spaces, basements, and crawlspaces. This is a step that the unseasoned or complacent restoration professional very frequently misses.
2. Identify risky materials.
Building materials can pose a significant risk to occupant health and safety; some commonly overlooked materials that may be hazardous to your health are materials that contain asbestos, lead paint, pre-existing or loss-related mold growth, rodent feces, excessive dust, chemicals (think VOC’s), etc. You need a qualified, highly experienced project manager to survey your property to ensure the safety of your home or business and the occupants before any demolition or aggressive drying commences. If air movers are placed or demolition commences with building materials containing asbestos, mold, lead, rodent feces, or other contaminants, the consequences can be catastrophic for the occupants. Asbestos, mold, or lead spread throughout an occupied structure can lead to lifelong health issues and complicated legal messes. Proper assessment of building materials and pre-existing conditions is critical and, sadly, an often missed step in restoration. Asbestos Laws and Regulations | US EPA.
3. Ensure risky materials are handled properly, and the proper drying scope is followed.
Building materials containing asbestos, lead, or mold growth must be handled properly to avoid contaminants throughout the home or business. Asbestos is the second most highly regulated industry on the planet, requiring strict handling, removal, and disposal protocols; unfortunately, asbestos is frequently removed by untrained water damage restoration contractors without proper identification or testing, placing themselves and any occupant at risk.
Lead is a tricky subject and typically falls under the EPA’s lead RRP rules. These regulations require contractors to follow strict containment, removal, cleaning, and packaging procedures to ensure occupant safety. It is estimated that more than 50% of homes in Maine and New Hampshire may contain lead-based paint. Lead can cause serious health, cognitive, and developmental issues, especially in children.
Mold growth and water damage are your annoying cousins that you never want to see, but they all too often show up together and unannounced. Mold growth is often challenging for the untrained eye to spot. Aspergillus/penicillium species often start out extremely subtle and nearly impossible to see with good LED lighting and a trained specialist. Making the mistake of placing air movement on these materials or conducting demolition without required engineering controls can result in cross contamination of an entire structure and can result in serious health/safety issues. Mold growth can begin within 24-48 hours after water damage has occurred if conditions are not controlled and stabilized properly.
Proper identification and handling of contaminated building materials is absolutely critical to ensure the outcome you deserve. Homeowners and business owners must be aware of the risks and ensure a professional surveys the property. Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program | US EPA , A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home | US EPA
4. Use the right equipment and the right amount of equipment for the job.
Every water damage job is different, requiring a slightly different approach to mitigate and reduce risks to occupants. A job with mold, asbestos, or lead present may require the work areas to be isolated with containment barriers and possibly negative air systems while drying takes place. Air scrubbers are generally large HEPA-filtered machines that remove particulates from the air and reduce airborne contaminants during restoration jobs. It is always appropriate to run an air scrubber on water damage, but with the presence of mold, excessive dust, or other contaminants, it is absolutely imperative to run an air scrubber.
All water damage projects will need dehumidification set up. Sizing of dehumidifiers is based on the cubic footage of the impacted area and the class of water damage; it is often advised to start with a more aggressive dehumidifier set up to quickly reduce the relative humidity, thus reducing the risk of mold and secondary damages. After the humidity stabilizes, the dehumidification system can be scaled down based on the grain depression readings and relative humidity. A critical note on dehumidifiers is that all dehumidifiers used on restoration jobs must be low grain refrigerant units (LGR), this means that the dehumidifier will operate to lower temperatures and lower specific humidity levels than conventional dehumidifiers. Conventional dehumidifiers are not appropriate for use in water damage projects.
Air movers are a powerful drying aid on water damage jobs that can significantly reduce drying time and save significant demolition when appropriately used. Depending on the project, air movers are typically placed based on linear and square footage. One air mover for every 300 sf of carpeted area, one for every 400 sf of hard surface area is typical for open spaces, and one for every 10-16 linear feet for wall placement. On walls, air movers should be placed at a 45° angle to the wall, approximately 6” away from the target wall; all air movers should be facing the same general direction, if possible, to maximize airflow around the room. Air movers should NEVER be running around friable asbestos or damaged lead paint during demolition when mold growth is present.
5. Project monitoring to ensure an expedient dry out of the property.
Restoration projects are very dynamic and cannot be treated as a static environment. Building materials will dry at different rates, humidity levels are always changing, mold growth can start quickly, and demolition can uncover hidden damage and building materials that may contain hazards. A competent person should re-assess every water damage project at least daily to respond to changing conditions and ensure an expedient dry-out.
Nearly every job will need equipment manipulation daily. This can include adding or reducing air movers, air scrubbers, dehumidifiers, etc. For example, after demolition, hidden mold growth was uncovered on the back of sheetrock. In this example, all positive air (air movers) must be removed immediately and replaced with air scrubbers, containment if needed, and possibly other more passive drying equipment.
Active jobsite management can ensure your home or business’s safe and timely restoration.
6. Make sure ALL impacted building materials are dry and clean.
After the dry-out is deemed to be complete, an additional quality check is recommended to ensure that no hidden or trapped moisture is unknowingly left behind and that no dust, mold growth, or debris is left in work areas. This is especially true if building materials were dried in place due to the risk of hidden moisture in wall cavities, between hidden layers of flooring/subflooring, etc.
In addition to checking for hidden moisture, it is critically important to ensure that everything is clean and free of mold growth and bacteria prior to clearing the work areas for reconstruction. Missing this step can lead to a logistical mess, liability, and safety concerns if it’s uncovered down the road.
7. Proper documentation of the damages, pre-existing conditions, and drying process.
The documentation process of a water damage project is both cumbersome and critical. Documentation starts with the initial phone call to capture all client information, claim information, and damage details. Upon arrival, the work authorization, photo documentation, moisture logs, pre-existing conditions, and photos of the source must be captured. All work activities, equipment, demolition activities, etc, must be well documented. If insurance companies are involved, they will only pay for the services that have been documented, even if additional work is required to complete the job.
Proper documentation helps ensure that the water damage contractor gets paid what they’re owed, that you, the insured, get paid for what you are owed, and that your property value is protected against possible losses from improperly mitigated water damage.
8. Billing and payment hiccups.
Getting paid what you’re due from an insurance claim may sound like a foregone conclusion; however, I can personally attest that over my 24 years in this industry it most certainly is not the case. Insurance companies are paying out record amounts of money for property claims and tightening up like never before. Climate change is one of the driving forces in the unprecedented uptick in property disasters, and that trend shows no signs of slowing down.
Water damage due to flooding is often not a covered source of water damage under standard policies; in-depth agreements about financial responsibility and scope of work must be had prior to the start of any water damage restoration project. Restoration can be expensive when done correctly, so clear communication is critical. With flooding events, a safe and practical approach is to expect to pay for damages out of pocket and to get reimbursed by insurance after the clean-up if insurance coverage exists.
Generally, the larger the job the tougher the insurance carrier will be in scrutinizing every penny. It is common for engineers and third-party claims scrubbers to be hired to find any costs savings for the carrier. This is where crystal clear communication, documentation, and fair billing practices become non-negotiable. A reputable water damage contractor will communicate all billing information to the insured, insurance adjuster, and any 3rd party involved with an operational need to know; this communication must be documented.
Under the best circumstances, an insurance claim can take several weeks to months. A water damage or fire damage project should be viewed as a partnership between the insured, the restoration contractor and the insurance company. The insurance carrier wants to pay what is owed and not a dime more, and they will require all documentation to support invoices before payment. As the insured, you want the property restored quickly and safely. As a restoration contractor, we want a happy client, the satisfaction of restoring your property, a happy adjuster, and rapid payment.
For the billing process to run smoothly, all eight steps above must be completed, with all supporting documentation of each step. Water damage restoration is not for the faint of heart, but when done properly, it can be one of the most rewarding industries on the planet. After 24 years of owning and actively running one of the largest independent restoration companies in Maine and New Hampshire, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!
Written by Robert York. Robert is a certified indoor environmental consultant, certified mold remediation supervisor, EPA lead safe renovator, Maine & NH licensed asbestos inspector, design consultant, management planner and supervisor, IICRC certified water damage restorer and Maine master pesticide applicator.
