The Water Removal Process...

With any sort of water damage, be it a pitcher of tea overturned in your living room or the pipes bursting in the upstairs bath, the overriding goal is still the same, to remove the excess water and dry everything out promptly to insure against further problems such as staining, rotting, smelling, or at the very worst, mold and mildew. 

Even the smallest of spills, such as the aforementioned pitcher, can leave unsightly stains on carpeting and may even result in some measure of mildew if not properly wiped up.  You can imagine how severe a more serious spill or flood situation might be.

So we look at a severe situation, such as the burst pipes.  Say they are in your kitchen and water has flooded into your living area and soaked your carpet.  A half inch of water may not sound all that bad, but look at your living room and imagine a half inch of water and see just how much of it could be affected.   So what do you do?

First things first: locate the source of the spill and shut it off.  This will not only prevent more water from coming in, but it will also give you an idea of what kind of water you are dealing with.  Check out this article on types of water damage for details.

You should also shut off any utilities at their source.  Water and electricity make strange bedfellows and leaking gas can cause fire or explosion….either scenario could have unfortunate results. 

You should also open windows and doors and get air moving through the area.  The vast majority of the restoration process will happen through air circulation.  Loose items and furniture should also be removed to a safe place for drying and cleaning. 

Excess water should be removed using a wet dry vac unit or pump, depending on depth and severity, and this process may take several hours. 

Once the excess is removed, don’t make the mistake of assuming it’s all over, as even a touch will reveal that surfaces are still quite wet.  Even concrete can manage to retain a significant amount of moisture.  You’ll need to make use of fans, blowers, and other air movers to finish the process we like to refer to as “secondary drying”.  Dehumidifiers will also need to be used to bring down the level of moisture.  Excessive moisture can set the stage for additional problems such as mold.

Carpets will need to be taken up, dried, cleaned and disinfected, along with the flooring beneath as well as any drywall that may have been affected.

If all this sounds like a lot, it is.  That’s where Water Damage Local.com comes in.  We are a nationwide network of water restoration providers, available 24/7 and able to provide a full range of services from water removal to structural restoration and everything in between. 

Contact the professionals at Water Damage Local.com for all of your water damage and flood restoration needs.