When your home or commercial property suffers water damage, timely cleanup and proper structural drying is essential for protecting your property from significant damage. If neglected or mishandled, water damage can bring unwanted health issues, unwelcomed guests and a significant hit to your wallet.
I’m Chris Parks with North Star Services, LLC and I’m going to explain how mistakes in the restoration process can cause worse damage to the structure and your health. I’ll also discuss the best ways to handle water damage.
Mistake #1: Waiting Too Long
It’s never a good time for water damage to occur. And, when it does, two factors come into play. One, the experience of water damage in your home or business can be quite stressful. No one wants to see their belongings saturated. Photos ruined. A business may need to be closed for a duration. Two, time is of the essence when water damage does occur. Water can seep into cracks, crevices and vents leading to bigger problems as it will remain unseen, soaking into building materials, encouraging mold growth and attracting insects. The longer you delay in acting, the more water has to infiltrate the entire area leading to a much larger problem.
Mistake #2: Doing It Yourself
A do-it-yourself attempt might initially stave off an insurance claim or potentially costly professional help, however the question remains, “did you get it all?” While the initial damage may seem small, undetected and unmitigated water damage can become a massive (and costlier) problem.
Most people jump right in cleaning up the mess. Now, we can all handle small spills when caught in time. However, when the problem is on a large scale, drying out and restoring water damage is a far more time-consuming and intensive process than many people realize, which makes it easy to skip steps (see Mistake #3).
Improper drying and cleanup can lead to additional damage because it causes people to wait too long to thoroughly complete the drying process (see Mistake #1). Leave water in the air vents and not only will the air fail to circulate, but also the vents themselves can become damaged. On top of that, termites, mosquitoes and other insects LOVE water. Having an infestation is a problem you definitely don’t want.
Mistake #3: Shortcuts
Water damage restoration is a thorough process. Shortcuts cannot be taken. The appropriate drying equipment must be used. The reality of it is, proper drying, cleaning and restoration IS an investment IF you want the job correctly done. Taking shortcuts (such as attempting to do the job yourself (see Mistake #2) may very well end up costing you in the end. All this leads into Mistake #4.
Mistake #4: Not Hiring Professionals
Hiring a licensed and certified IICRC restoration and remediation company is the best way to treat and navigate all water damage issues. Doing it yourself is probably the worse mistake of all. If you don’t hire a licensed water remediation company within 24 hours, your insurance company may decline your claim as a failure of due diligence.
Mold Growth And Your Health
If a property hasn’t been professionally treated for water damage, there’s a good chance for mold growth. Mold in your property can become a growing problem that requires immediate attention. Buildings that have flooded recently are most at risk for mold growth that could be highly toxic and deadly. It’s important to take care of any mold that’s growing in a home or business so that illness can be prevented and the air you and others are breathing is clean and free of any toxins.
Professional water damage remediation companies have the equipment and knowledge to properly assess, dry, and restore water damage from any source. And this, in turn, will tackle any mold issues.
Avoiding the Mistakes
Understanding how water can damage your property and avoiding the common mistakes mentioned above will ensure your property will be properly dried out and restored in no time.
Request A Free Inspection Today
As a certified IICRC restoration and remediation company in Nashville, Berry Hill & throughout Middle Tennessee, North Star Services, LLC uses state-of-the-art equipment to inspect and treat both commercial and residential properties. We provide free mold and other restoration inspections. And, are available 24/7, 365 days a year for emergencies such as water damage, fire damage, trauma cleanup, flood and storm damage and more. Contact us at 629-221-0638 or request a free estimate now.
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