Dealing with Water Damage

Cold temperatures cause your pipes to freeze and burst. Your ice maker line leaks and water flows onto the kitchen floor. An incredibly strong summer storm comes along and, in addition to causing damage to your roof from a fallen tree, results in…you guessed it, water damage.

As one of the most common forms of damage to property, it's important to know how this damage can affect your home or office, and how you can save a lot of time, money and effort by having a professional handle the cleanup. Much of water damage happens below the surface. Mold is a concern, of course, but there can be many other problems related to moisture damage; crumbling drywall and plaster, weakened beams and supports, rusting metal surfaces, and more. If moisture is left to sit long enough, it will eventually bring the house to ruin. A professional cleaning crew, like American Restoration, has water damage restoration training and is able to properly assess the situation and devise the best plan for repair (IICRC).

The best plan for repair often comes from a distinct understanding of the types of water damage. Our mitigation crews follow the IICRC S-500's 4 classes of destruction and know how to handle the repair that comes with each.

Class 1 This class is the lowest and easiest to deal with and has a slow evaporation rate. Only part of a room or area is affected, there is little or no wet carpet, and the moisture has only affected materials with a low permeance rate, such as plywood or concrete.

Class 2 With a fast evaporation rate, this level affects an entire room, carpeting, or cushioning, the wetness has wicked up the walls at least 12", and there is moisture remaining in structural materials.

Class 3 This class has the fastest evaporation rate, and ceilings, walls, insulation, carpet and sub-floors are all saturated. The liquid may have come from overhead.

Class 4 This class is labeled as a specialty drying situation, which means there has been enough liquid and time to saturate materials with very low permeance, such as hardwood, brick, or stone.

In addition to classes of destruction, there are also different types of water damage which lend to the restoration process. To learn more check out our water damage infographic.

Water damage restoration is more than just removing water, although that's a big part of it. Our process generally involves:

• Removing area contents and moving any salvageable items to our facility for further drying and repair.
• Extracting water from the area. Our mitigation crews work as quickly as possible to avoid any additional damage.
• Using infrared cameras to check for moisture behind walls and subflooring.
• Dehumidifying with commercial grade equipment.
• Deodorizing and sanitizing the area.
• Completely restoring structure and content.
• Hardwood floor drying.
• Document drying and restoration.

It is our goal to return your home or office to its pre-event condition as quickly as possible but with the highest quality work. Our 24/7 emergency response team is available to promptly respond to your call. From extraction and drying to dehumidifying, deodorizing and disinfecting; our certified disaster professionals identify the full spectrum of water damage, both obvious and unseen and are ready to help.