What You Can Expect During a Water Disaster Clean-Up in Your Home
Water damage and flooding can cause some of the most widespread damage to your home's interior, as water can quickly spread through your home's surfaces. It is important to clean up and remedy damage left behind after water disasters. Here are some tips to help you master the clean-up process by knowing what types of damage you may be able to handle yourself and when you should hire a water damage restoration service.
Hire Professional Water Damage Restoration
Damage to your home's interior from a water leak can include minimal damage to one wall, or can cover your entire basement in severe damage. The extent of the damage and whether the water contains bacteria or viruses from sewage will determine how much of the clean-up you can do yourself.
For example, if a water line has broken in a wall or your roof has leaked and damaged one area of your drywall, you can likely remove and clean up the water on your own. But if the water damage is throughout your entire home with several inches of water, there will be a great deal of materials and areas to clean up and dry out.
When sewage is included with the flooding, for example, such as a backed-up sewer drain or sewage leaking from exterior flooding, you will need to clean all contaminated surfaces inside your home. This can include cleaning or removal of flooring, baseboards, cupboards, drywall, insulation, and any other materials along the floor and below the flood line.
Hire Professional Mold Remediation
When water has remained on surfaces inside your home for long enough, it will cause once-dormant mold spores to begin growing and spreading. Mold spores exist all around you inside and outside your home, and in the right environment they can explode in growth. Moisture damage in your home can promote mold growth within one or two days, and depending on the size of the water damage, you may have a very large area containing mold growth.
When areas of mold growth within your home are smaller, you can clean them up on your own with household detergent, water, vinegar, and a disposable cleaning cloth or remove and dispose of them. Be sure you remove all traces of mold growth and dry out the area as quickly as possible. For larger areas of mold growth, you may want to hire the services of a mold remediation company. They will clean up and remove the mold to make sure the mold does not continue to cause health problems with you and your family.
Replace Damaged Materials
Once all the water damage and mold growth have been removed, you will likely need to replace wall materials, insulation, flooring, and other surfaces that were discarded during the clean-up. Hiring a professional to install the proper amount of insulation in your walls, for example, or to replace drywall and flooring may be a good choice for you. Unless you have experience or the ability to complete your own home repair projects, professional services to complete these repairs can ensure your home retains its value.