What to Do After a Water Leak?
While water leaks might be considered less devastating than fire damage, even a small water leak on your property can cause significant damages that will be very costly to mitigate. When a water leak escalates, it can cause mildew, mold, stains and waterlogged drywall. Therefore, if you can’t stop a water leak immediately, it is prudent to contact professional water damage restoration services to prevent further damage. Regardless of whether it is a minor or major water leak, it is crucial to deal with any water leaks quickly. Here are essential tips for cleaning your home after water damage to minimize the risk of personal injury.
1. Leak detection
It’s important to move wet items to a dry area with enough fresh air to prevent further damage. It may not be easy to detect the leak without the professional help of a water, storm and mold damage cleanup company.
Our water damage restoration team at Disaster Doctors in SLC, Utah will use sophisticated disaster restoration machinery to undertake various tests to locate the leak. We use a Flir E5 thermal imaging camera to detect leaking pipes behind walls or floors or conduct a salt analysis to determine whether mold has started growing. A moisture meter will help determine the extent of the mold damage and pinpoint the source by analyzing the moisture maps.
1. Drying
Drying is a very important part of any water leak situation. For instance, when a water pipe in an upstairs bathroom bursts, it causes flooding and a lot of damage to the walls and ceilings. Therefore, before considering any repairs, it is important to dry out the rooms comprehensively. If the leak was minor, a dehumidifier can be installed to speed up the room drying process.
Also, some minor stripping out works can help remove the damaged material before the repairs. In case of a major water leak, we recommend specialized drying equipment that is necessary for drying all the affected rooms. Our professionals use thermal dryers to apply heat and dehumidify the wet surfaces. We also use dehumidifiers and air movers in the drying process to extract moisture from hidden spaces, walls, and floors.
1. Document the Damage
Remember, homeowners insurance policies don’t cover water damage caused by floods. Hence, it important to know the flood risk rate and get a flood insurance policy via the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). It is important to keep all moving receipts in case you hire a moving service company to move large items to a safer self-storage facility. Document the extent of damage by photographing or taking videos of all the damaged areas and items. That will help the insurer to determine the extent of the damage and the equivalent amount of your claim.
1. Restoration
Once the property is fully dry, it is time to start cleaning, sanitizing and restoring the damage. The restoration project depends on the extent of the damage caused by the leaking water. For example, you may need a simple stripping out work and replacement of wallpapers for a minor water leak, or expensive floor and joinery replacements. In fact, plastering and replacement of structural timbers such as floor joists can be very expensive, and thus it’s important to have the right insurance policy.
1. Contact Disaster Doctors: A Water Damage Cleanup Company in SLC, Utah You Can Count On
So, how do I clean up water damage? Still asking yourself that question? At Disaster Doctors, we provide a wide range of drying and water damage restoration services across Salt Lake City, UT. Our experts focus on identifying the leak and stopping it before starting the water damage restoration process. We understand that every leak is unique, and thus we customize our services to suit every situation by using different technologies, equipment and years of experience to help you clean up after water leak. Give us a call at 801-210-1988 for a free quote. Our Salt Lake City, Utah water damage cleanup professionals are available 24/7 to offer emergency services. We guarantee to be at your door in 60 minutes or less and bill directly to your insurance company. Are you experiencing water damage from a leak? Don’t wait, give us a call right away!
