Any time your home or business experiences water damage, whether it be from a plumbing leak or severe storm, it’s crucial to act fast. The longer you let water soak into walls and flooring, the more difficult it becomes to protect those areas from mold, rot, and other forms of deterioration. There are a few steps you can take yourself to contain the damage, but most tasks should be left in the hands of experts. Keep reading to learn what you can safely do yourself and why professional restoration is the best approach for more extensive damage.
Safe DIY Tasks for Water Restoration
As you’re waiting for the restoration experts to arrive, you can perform these tasks to help limit damage:
- If it’s a plumbing leak, turn off the water supply.
- Take photos and videos of the damage for insurance purposes.
- Start moving furniture and other belongings from the affected areas.
- Mop up as much water as you safely can.
- Place buckets underneath active leaks.
- Open doors and windows if the weather outside is dry to begin the drying process.
- Do not access areas with standing water if there’s a risk of contact with electrical outlets, appliances, or wiring.
Set Up Barriers to Prevent Unsafe Access to Affected Areas
You don’t want people to walk through contaminated areas and then track harmful contaminants to other parts of the home or workplace. Once the experts arrive, they’ll set up barriers to keep people away from slippery floors and areas that aren’t safe to enter.
Remove and Dry Massive Amounts of Moisture in Hours
You may be able to remove quite a bit of water with mops and towels, but experts have commercial-grade water extraction equipment that can handle tremendous amounts of moisture. And the faster they remove the water, the less damage there will be.
Quickly Find Hidden Moisture
Even if the floors and walls appear to be dry, there may be moisture trapped underneath them. That water will eventually make its way behind baseboards, inside walls, and under cabinets if you don’t have it removed. You may notice an odor resembling mildew if the trapped moisture develops into mold growth. Restoration technicians have moisture meters and other types of specialized equipment to quickly detect hidden moisture in drywall, subflooring, and insulation. They can also remedy mold growth before it spreads to other parts of the home or business.
These are just a few of the many reasons to let restoration professionals handle water damage. They’ll use the latest equipment and restoration techniques and follow all applicable building codes to ensure the affected areas don’t develop additional problems later on. When you need water damage restoration services in Raleigh, NC, contact United Water Restoration Group of Raleigh.