Water damage is a crisis that will occur or occur many times in our day to day lives. We can forget to lock our taps when there is no water and when water starts flowing again it may flood our houses.

Flooding can also be a result of heavy rains around our areas, especially in a state like Illinois where thunderstorms are common, which can account for as much as 50% of precipitation. For this reason, basement waterproofing in Southern IL is a sensible precaution to take against the risk of flooding. Overflowing rivers and damns near our homes or offices can cause us a lot of damage. Water pipes in our houses may start leaking or our roofs start to leak after a particular period.

Shutting down the water source is the very first thing we should do when water damage has occurred. Shutting down electricity is also among the first measures to take during such a time.

Water damage repair should be done quickly before the wet items or materials get into bad damage and this is because wet materials get mold within 24 hours after the damage. It makes sense to engage the services of a professional damage restoration and emergency storm damage cleanup company like Protegrity Restoration as soon as possible after you discover any substantial water damage. This will not only serve to protect your property against long-term effects, but will help to limit the scope (and therefore the cost) of the repairs.

You can also visit DenverRestorationServices.com to find out more about the ptoetioal effects of storm damage and necessary repairs.

Steps for Water Damage Repair:

1. Identify the Type of Water Involved

One thing is to know the type of water that may be causing the damage because the measure to be taken will also depend on the type of water that has leaked. This can be rain, water, condensed water, leaking water from pipes or a clack water softener and so forth, and a person can repair the damage by themselves.

The second type of water can be water from cleaning dishes and washing clothes. This type of water is said to be slightly dirty and has some contamination. We need to put on protective measures while cleaning here.                                                  

2. Check for Effects Such as Mold

You should check whether mold appears on the damaged materials or surfaces. Mold can be harmful to human beings. Mold also has a highly damaging level to the materials it develops on. It is a little-known fact that more than one type of mold can be found growing in the same geographical location. For that reason, it is best to employ local mold removal specialists who will have greater knowledge of what is required to treat the particular types of mold spores in your area.

One of the most effective steps in mold removal is to throw away the materials involved if it is not a serious infection. For serious problems, all you need to do is shut down the area making sure no air goes in and call a professional to handle the issue.

3. Make Sure the Areas Affected are all dry

 It is relevant to make sure that no moisture is on the damaged areas to avoid more damages. We can use fans or electric room heaters to make sure the affected areas are all dry. If it happens to be a large area, we can hire dehumidifiers to dry out the area and affected materials around the scene.

4. Remove and Toss Damaged Materials

 Permeable materials such as carpets and fabric should be removed and tossed. Once you realize they are already soaked in water; you should cut them off and dispose of them. Water is likely to damage these kinds of materials by shrinking them and mold will automatically cause more damage to such materials. Cement is also a permeable material.  

5. Disinfect the Remaining Materials

The next step is to disinfect the whole area. Here we use a bleaching agent but we can also use other basic homemade options. You should wipe the areas carefully before you proceed to water damage repair to make sure no mold is left behind. Click here to read more.

6. Look at the Ceilings Water Damage First

Gravity causes water damaged ceilings very dangerous because they can fall off at any time. The best thing is to remove the affected panels. If the water damage is caused by a roof problem, it is essential to find the cause of the leak and it can be far from the water stain you found. In case of any serious damages, we call a professional.

7. Replace the Damaged Wood

Here all the wood that has mold or mildew has to be removed immediately. Separate the affected wood and clean them apart while replacing them one by one. When the wood is a structural component of the house, you have to be careful when making the replacement to make sure that the structure is left with strong support.

8. Put New, Sealed Floors

At this moment, our floors are swollen by the water. It is essential to check whether more water is hidden underneath our floor. Underlayment is easily damaged by water and it is relevant that it be removed immediately. After removing them we need to install new floors. Our new floor needs to be waterproof to avoid repetitive cases. We can install something like ceramic tiles.

9. Replace Dry Wall

We need to measure the drywall that needs to be replaced if it is swollen or sagging, and/or or there are areas that have been permeated by mold. The whole sheet should be replaced (ideally with mold resistant drywall), but for small damages, we can cut off the damaged area and do a partial replacement. Remember to also check the outside part of the drywall.      

10. Replace the Siding

Roof problems also cause damages to side walls too. When this happens, we need to replace the siding before they rot. Water can soak on other external walls surrounding your home. Hence it is essential to have a tough inspection.

11. Seal and Paint

After replacing all the needful materials, apply a fresh coat that will match the stain and the initial coat. Finally, we seal the new materials to reduce any forthcoming problems.

In a case where you can't handle the damages by yourself, it's needful for you to inquire whether the owner of the house had insured their houses against such damages. If you are the real owner of the house and had insured against such, you should go ahead and make claims so that insurance can meet their responsibility.

 Conclusion

Water damage repair can be dealt with using a home-based method or looking for professionals to do the work. We identify the type of water that may have caused the damage and thereafter we can get go ahead of what to do next.