How Long Does It Take to Repair Water Damage?

restoration water damage experts

In the event that your home is damaged by water or ice, calling restoration water damage experts should be one of your first steps to remediate the water damage to your property. There are several questions you may want to consider and the answers may have a short-term or long-term impact on your home and the quality of life there. Here are several things to consider if water damage does occur:

What effects will water damage have on my home?

Once your home is subjected to water damage, it is susceptible to a number of immediate and residual or long-term problems as a result of that damage. Drywall and the insulation behind it are two of the best examples of what happens when flooding occurs. You may think that once the water has been mopped up, and fans and dehumidifiers have dried out the surface areas, that you have successfully ‘weathered’ the storm.

However, what you can’t see can still hurt you. The insulation and interior drywall is easily prone to mold and mildew that can affect you and your family’s health. Your house’s heating, cooling, electrical, or gas systems could all be compromised. Water damage to carpeting is obvious, but other types of flooring can warp and also produce mold spores. If your home is subjected to any water damage, call in restoration water damage experts to make a full assessment of the property.

Can I clean up water damage myself?

The answer is ‘Yes’ and ‘No.’ The process of water damage clean up is an extensive one and depends on how the damage occurs.

  • You will have to act fast if water is free-flowing from a burst pipe somewhere. Shutting off the source and knowing how to contain it is an advantage, but you will still be left with calling in emergency plumbing services.
  • Next, you need to deal with standing water. Standing water can present a number of problems and risks that could prevent you from cleaning up the water damage yourself.
    • The first being electricity.
    • A second could be damage to the house’s foundation if pumping the water out is not done correctly.

How long does it take to dry out my home or business after flooding?

Salvaging what you can of water damaged property is a top priority. Drying out can take a day or several weeks, depending on the amount of water damage and the size of the building. There are several steps to take to help dry out the property.

  • Weather permitting, if the humidity is less outside than inside, open the windows and let the building air out. You can also move wet furniture and throw rugs outside to dry.
  • Run fans through the house to circulate air, but not the HVAC system if it was subjected to flooding.
  • Dehumidifiers can work in closed rooms, and a combination of pumping first and then wet vacuuming can also help to dry out the building. At all times exercise caution.

What do water damage restoration experts use to dry the water damage?

What methods used to dry water damage will depend on an environment check. Octagon Cleaning & Restoration will send a water damage restoration expert certified in assessing the damage and implementing an action plan immediately. The first step is checking the environment for mold to determine the course of action. The presence of mold will directly impact the method of drying out the premises. No mold means an active drying system can be implemented using a variety of industrial grade air movers and dehumidifiers. The presence of mold will require a passive method of drying so as not to distribute mold spores throughout the house.

Why does the restoration company need to have access to my house? Why is my house monitored so often?

After a dwelling has been damaged by water, the restoration company will need to have access to the house until the damage has been remediated. It is a lengthy process and requires ongoing monitoring, especially with regard to fully ridding your house of mold.

Is the water damage restoration work guaranteed?

Yes. Octagon Cleaning & Restoration has a full 5-year warranty on fire, water, and mold services.

Can water damage be prevented?

Water damage to your house can occur in a number of ways. From a leaky roof to backed up gutters to burst pipes. There are a number of preventive measure homeowners can take to reduce the chance of water damage. For example, inspecting your roof for cracked or missing shingles, or the accumulation of debris after a big storm may be a telltale sign that leaking has or is going to occur. Cleaning out gutters should be done at least once a year, especially in the fall. Installing gutter guards can help reduce the amount of leaves and twigs and even bird nests. Pipe bursts can happen at any time due to corrosion or decay, but the overwhelming season when it happens is during the winter months. It is important to take preventive steps before winter arrives. Identify potential areas of vulnerability to the cold in your house. Start with the basement. That’s where over a third of frozen pipes occur. Apply thermostatically controlled heat tape on pipes to insulate them. During exceptionally harsh cold snaps, it’s good to leave faucets dripping. It will relieve the water pressure from expanding in the line. More importantly, if the water stops dripping then you know the line is frozen and it needs to be thawed immediately.

Do you already have water damage? You can begin the mopping and drying, but contact Octagon Cleaning & Restoration, your water damage mitigation experts. If the damage is severe, call your insurance agent to report it and then start the drying process as soon as possible.