4 Important Ways To Protect Carpets From Water Damage!

Water damage in Conroe Texas

 

Carpets are common casualties of water damage when floods occur. No matter where the water comes from, once a carpet gets wet you must act quickly in order to save it. By working together with professional water damage restoration services, you can quickly clean and dry carpeting to avoid having it replaced.

Step 1 - Quickly Remove The Water

The key to rescuing wet carpet and preventing permanent water damage is to start removing the water as quickly as possible. You need to prevent the growth of mold and mildew, which can start in as little as 24 hours after a flood happens. All standing water should be removed in whatever way necessary. A professional wet/dry vacuum should next be used to vacuum carpets until no more fluid comes out. The drier you can get a rug, the better. If the flooding is significant, your best option may be to call water damage restoration services that can bring in heavy duty wet vacs.

Step 2 - Bring In the Fans

After removing as much fluid as possible from the rugs and padding, dry them out by setting up fans to circulate air in the room. Drying out wet carpeting can take days, so keep the fans going 24 hours for at least a week. Keep the air moving through the room to decrease humidity levels and prevent mildew while the carpets are drying. If necessary, rent high-powered fans from home improvement stores with a tool rental department.

Step 3 - Dehumidify the Room

In addition to fans, bring in a dehumidifier to help reduce humidity levels in the room. Drying occurs when humidity is removed from the air. As a carpet releases any humidity it is holding, the dehumidifier will remove it. These two drying steps are critical in the prevention of mold and mildew, which are the main cause of water damage that results in permanently damaged carpeting. Continue drying and dehumidifying at least one week after everything seems dry to the touch, since this is likely not the case. Stopping too soon can invite microorganism growth, which is what you are trying to avoid.

Step 4 - Steam Clean and Sanitize

At some point during the drying process, water damage restoration services also recommend a thorough steam cleaning to sanitize carpets and flooring. Once again, prevention of mold and mildew and the growth of bacteria or other microorganisms is the prime concern. Use a professional steam machine and clean the carpets with chemicals made to disinfect and deodorize them. Resume drying with fans and dehumidifiers until the carpets are finally dry.

The biggest factor in preventing water damage to carpets and rugs is preventing mold and mildew that can ruin it permanently. Time is a critical concern as many people rush things, ending later up with damp and smelly carpets. By using the above tips practiced by professional water damage restoration services, you can successfully dry your carpet. If you need help, call for assistance from the professionals and save your carpeting!

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How To Save Photos Suffering From Water Damage!

Water damage in Conroe Texas

 

When a flood happens, a lot more than just the building and furnishings can sustain water damage. Priceless photographs can also be seriously damaged, sometimes to the point where they cannot be salvaged. Yet it is possible to save these memories with certain techniques used by water damage restoration services.

Before feeling that all is lost and irreplaceable photographs must be thrown away, try the following methods used by the professionals to rescue important photos and documents.

Act Fast!

As with all other water damage restoration services, it is critical to act fast. Gather up damaged photos as quickly as possible, then begin with the steps listed below. If it is not possible to start the restoration process right away, clean photos as described in the next step, stack between wax paper, seal in a ziplock bag, and store in the freezer. When it is possible to go through all the steps properly, defrost the bag and continue on with the restoration process.

Clean and Separate Gathered Photos

Begin restoring water damage to photographs by carefully removing them from any frames and mats, then clean off any dirt, mud, or other residue. One-by-one, gently dip the photos in a bucket of clean, cold water to rinse off any soil and dirty water. Avoid touching the surface of the image, since it could become further damaged from handling.

Unstick Photos

If photos are stuck together or stuck to the glass inside a frame, it may be possible to gently soak them to get them unstuck. Using slightly warm water, soak photos or the entire frame, if necessary, for up to an hour until they can be carefully peeled apart or peeled off the frame glass. In the event that these techniques suggested by water damage restoration services do not work, it is advisable to first clean the glass and take a photo of the image.

If salvage is not possible, a photo restoration specialist may be able to digitally edit the second photo to look almost like the original.

Lay Photos Out to Dry

The next step is to lay out all cleaned photos individually, face-side-up, on paper towels or some other absorbent material to blot them and allow the drying process to begin. Avoid handling the image surface, and do not lay them on newspaper as this may bleed ink onto the photos.

Lay photos indoors since wind or sunlight could cause them to dry too quickly and curl up. Change the paper towels every hour or so until the photos are completely dry. To speed things up and reduce curling during water damage repair, weigh or pin the corners down, then increase drying using a fan turned to low, an open window, or a dehumidifier.

Although these techniques may not work for every photo, they offer the best chance to rescue treasured memories after a flood. Yet when dealing with historic or older photos and documents, water damage restoration services advise working with a professional documents restorer who may know of other suitable water damage salvage methods. Fortunately, many people can save a good portion of their photos by acting quickly and using the steps outlined above to carefully clean and dry their images!

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What Are The Recommended Steps Of Water Damage Restoration?

Water Damage Restoration in Conroe Texas

Homes that are flooded need special treatment in order to restore them to the condition they were in before the flood occurred. Without the proper water damage restoration techniques, homeowners may suffer from permanent damage to both their homes and belongings.

By using the following multiple stage process, licensed and experienced water damage restoration services can thoroughly remove all water from a home or building, reducing any long-term damages and saving as many items as possible.

Step 1 - Initial Inspection and Damage Assessment

Before any water removal or drying begins, water damage restoration services inspect flooded areas and assess the amount and type of damage. During this step, any safety or health hazards are identified and a course of action to restore the property is determined. Water source and a number of other details must also be considered in order to decide whether the job is a mostly sanitary cleanup or if precautions must be taken due to unsanitary sources of gray or black water.

Step 2 - Water Extraction

Once a plan for water damage restoration has been decided, the next step is to extract as much water as possible from the premises and remove any items that cannot be repaired. Standing water is suctioned up from floors, carpeting, and rugs using powerful extraction machines, after which carpets and rugs are removed.

Area rugs can possible be restored: wall-to-wall carpeting usually cannot. All furnishings, removable fixtures, and other damaged items are removed and the flooded area is set up for drying. Cabinetry, appliances, and even drywall may be removed if these components are saturated and will need to be replaced.

Step 3 - Drying and Dehumidifying

Next, the lengthy yet extremely important process of drying the damaged areas begins. This is done by using a combination of drying methods that include air blowers, heaters, floor drying machines, and heavy duty dehumidifiers. Efforts are made to increase air temperature and keep air circulating to increase evaporation before mold or mildew can start to grow. Drying can take anywhere from 2 to 4 days or more, depending on the size of the area being treated.

Step 4 - Secondary Inspection and Assessment

After thorough drying and dehumidifying have been completed, water damage restoration services perform a second inspection and damage assessment looking for any areas that have not dried sufficiently and may need additional drying time. Humidity testing is also done to ensure that levels are low enough to prevent future mold and mildew formation. Once everything is deemed dry enough and the humidity level is stable, any necessary reconstruction can begin.

Step 5 - Restorative Reconstruction

The last step in the water damage restoration process is restorative construction. Anything that was removed during the extraction step or was found to be damaged beyond repair even after drying is reconstructed as needed. This may include replacing drywall and flooring along with cabinets, baseboards, and any other fixtures, components, or appliances that were removed. Once this final step has been completed, the home or building should be restored to the condition it was in before the damage occurred.

Although these steps may seem simple, they require careful attention and the use of specialized machines to ensure that water damage restoration is properly performed. If done incorrectly, complete restoration may not be possible. There is also a significant risk of health concerns due to poor moisture removal. The best thing a homeowner can do is to work with licensed water damage restoration services with extensive experience in obtaining the best results!

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Water Damage Restoration – What Is Included?

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When considerable flooding occurs, dealing with the disaster usually requires more than just a mop and bucket. Depending on the water source, water damage restoration can be quite extensive and take many days or even weeks to complete. Failure to use the right techniques can result in permanent destruction of homes and personal property or conditions that could cause illness in the future. This is why it is so important for home and building owners to work with experienced water damage restoration services when these unfortunate events occur.

Categorizing and Assessing the Damage

Water damage is classified into three categories based on the water source. Category 1 is destruction caused by clean water. Category 2 are damages caused by what is known as gray water. Category 3 is a disaster brought about by black water. Category 1 indicates the fewest health and environmental risks, while Category 3 indicates the most significant risks.

Based on this categorization, which considers the critical level of contaminants and pathogens present, water damage restoration services must determine what must be addressed in cleanup efforts and then assess the level of damage sustained. By using this information, a plan is devised for dealing with the damage in the most effective ways, while removing all environmental and health risks.

Cleaning and Drying

After the assessment to determine the extent of the damage is completed and has been determined what type of water damage restoration must take place, the cleaning and drying effort begins. This process usually takes a minimum of a few days to complete the stages of water extraction, drying, sanitizing, and deodorizing. It can take longer depending upon the amount of damage and size of the areas being treated.

Water damage restoration services will typically remove or store items that have not been damaged to preserve them, then begin working on all the items and structures that have been harmed. They use various drying technologies to expedite the process so that loss is minimized. They also apply different treatments to any pathogens or contaminants that could be harmful and remove any residual odors.

Post Restoration Inspection

Once all water damage restoration has been completed, a thorough inspection is performed to ensure that buildings and items have been returned to their previous condition. During this inspection, restorers check the moisture levels of the items that have been restored, as well as the temperature and humidity level inside the buildings to ensure that everything is dry and there is no risk of microorganism or pathogen growth.

Yet each circumstance is different, which means every restoration effort will also be different as well. In the event that conditions are not ideal the first time, a service may need to continue their efforts before the restoration can be considered to be complete.

The goal of water damage restoration is to bring property and buildings back to the condition they were in before being affected by a flood. Considering the risk of mold and mildew and the potential health and environmental hazards that may be present, this can be quite challenging. For the best chance at total restoration and the least amount of loss after a flood, professional water damage restoration services are essential!

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