Why You Should Avoid DIY Water Damage Restoration.

Water damage can occur from leaky pipes, a damaged roof, flash flooding, or numerous other causes. What each of these situations have in common is the soggy damage they leave behind. What’s worse, is the hidden damage you probably won’t even be aware of until it gets out of hand.

For instance, by the time you see the first signs of mold growing on your walls, you probably already have a serious mold issue. You’ll almost certainly need professional mold remediators to address the situation. Not having mold removed properly can lead to risks to your family’s health and safety.

But that’s just one of the things that can go wrong with water damage. In this blog we’re going to look at the reasons you should call a professional right away, instead of trying DIY water damage restoration. 

Common Mistakes Homeowners Make When Dealing With Water Damage.

It’s tempting to try and deal with water damage on your own. After all, you have a great mop, plenty of rags, fans, and even a shop vac, don’t you? What could go wrong? Well, actually quite a bit.

• Do you have a moisture meter? This tool is vital for finding all of the hidden moisture you can’t see. That hidden moisture can quickly lead to mold.
  
• You probably don’t think about the walls when you’re cleaning water off the floor. However, drywall acts as a wick for all that water.
  
• Even if you do notice wet walls, do you know what’s behind them? Tearing down walls without knowing where wiring and pipes are can be both dangerous (if you’re exposing mold) and expensive.
  
• Do you know which areas you should have tested for asbestos, lead, and mold before you start messing around with them?
  
• If you use fans to try and dry an area out, you risk spreading contaminated water, sewage, and mold spores throughout your home. That will just compound the problem.
  
• Shop vacs can’t get your home dry enough, fast enough to prevent mold growth in damp areas. They also can’t get into all the areas where water will go.

Repairing Water Damage Requires Urgent Action.

It takes an average of just 71 hours for water damage to render items in your home non-repairable. That includes structural elements like walls and flooring as well as furniture, appliances, and other household goods. If you’re going to save anything that was in the water’s path, it’s essential to act quickly and appropriately. After all, you don’t want to make the problem any worse than it already is.

Understanding What Dry Really Means.

Some things take a lot longer to dry out than others. According to Restoration and Remediation, acceptable industry standards require that materials are dried to within 10% of what they would have been before getting wet.

Professional Restoration Is The Way To Go.

A good restoration company will be certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC). This certification means that they follow industry best practices and meet all of the standards for professional remediation and restoration. 

Depending on the restoration project, our team will initiate the appropriate testing to ensure that the work is done correctly and the harmful elements are removed with caution. Here’s a breakdown of the types of testing to consider: 

• Every restoration project that involves mold remediation requires testing both before and after the remediation has taken place. Our Green Clean team will perform an ATP test initially to determine if additional testing is necessary, and if it is, we bring in a 3rd party vendor to perform the tests. This ensures that you’re getting accurate information, and that information is accurately informing the amount of remediation work necessary.
  
• Every home built prior to 1978 will need to have lead testing done prior to any restoration work if our team is going to be disturbing areas that may have lead paint.
  
• We do third party testing for asbestos on any suspect materials that are to be disturbed regardless of age.

When you hire Green Clean to handle your water damage problems, you can sit back and relax knowing that the work will be done safely and properly. In fact, we want you to leave all of the mess to us, making our job of protecting your family’s health and safety easier. Our team of restoration experts has many years of experience in making water-damaged homes livable again. Contact us to have all of your restoration questions answered.