After a water damage event, in the midst of your panicked and furious Googling, you will come across terms like “water extraction” and “water mitigation.” You might wonder which one you need for your situation, and how the process will work.
First of all, just call us as soon as the water damage occurs! We can come survey the area and recommend the necessary services for your situation. But since you’re wondering, you will probably need both. Water extraction comes first, and it involves the process of removing the water from your home. Then water mitigation will involve removing water-damaged materials and conducting repairs.
Water extraction immediatley reduces the amount of water in your home, and hopefully will discourage the growth of mold and mildew. Depending on your situation, the process will include:
- Stopping the source of the water
- Draining or pumping standing water out of your home
- Removing the water you can’t see (inside walls and in subflooring)
- Drying the area thoroughly
- Dehumidifying the area, or the whole house
Occasionally, there can be safety concerns when we remove excess water from the home. If the water involves sewage, we need to use special equipment to reduce the potential for infectious disease. Or if the water comes into contact with electrical sockets, an electrocution risk exists. Don’t enter the flooded area without calling us first.
Then, water mitigation will involve removing materials from your home that are not salvageable. This could include furniture, subflooring, or drywall. Then we thoroughly clean and sanitize the entire area.
Water damage cleanup can sound like a long, complicated process, but we do it all the time. Call us as soon as possible after the event occurs, and we have the best chances of saving more of your property. We will walk you through the process, help you file a claim with your homeowners insurance company, and get your home back to normal as soon as possible.
