Water damage can strike your home without notice. A leaking pipe may burst and flood your basement while you're on vacation. Your dishwasher may suddenly leak and spill water on your hardwood kitchen floor due to faulty maintenance. A spring storm may cause a leaking roof to give in, causing water damage to the structure of your home. There are many situations where water mitigation and water restoration services may be needed.
But what is the difference between water mitigation and water restoration? Fully understanding the restoration process is important to help you see what is done by water damage restoration professionals and what you can expect when they're at your home or property. Learn more about the differences between water mitigation and water restoration below.
WHAT IS WATER DAMAGE MITIGATION?
Water damage mitigation prevents further water damage from affecting your property and belongings. The water mitigation process involves using specialized equipment and techniques to minimize the amount of loss, such as:
- Removing damaged furniture and materials, including drywall and flooring.
- Cleaning and disinfecting salvageable materials.
- Ensuring the home's structural stability.
- Extracting water and drying out the home with commercial-grade equipment.
- Protecting the integrity of the home by boarding up windows, applying tarps and taking other necessary precautions.
Water damage mitigation services aren't designed to repair or replace damaged property, but to ensure the disaster doesn't lead to further consequences. While the water mitigation process may prevent further damage, the service is often only a temporary solution.
WHAT IS RESTORATION?
Restoration for water damage is focused on repairing and restoring the water damage caused to a home or property. After the water mitigation process, many trained water damage restoration specialists will focus on reconstructing and rebuilding your home through a variety of applications. The restoration process is intended to help homeowners recover from all damage. Although the steps a restoration company may take to restore each home will largely depend on the extent of the water damage, typical restoration services often include the following:
- Replacing damaged walls and flooring.
- Eliminating mold.
- Repairing roof damage.
- Conducting humidity and moisture testing to ensure all issues have been resolved.
The main purpose of restoration for water damage is to return the home to pre-loss conditions. Since repairs can't be made until all water damage problems have been completely addressed, the water restoration process can't begin until the water mitigation process has ended.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WATER RESTORATION AND WATER MITIGATION
Water mitigation services will always be performed first, followed by water restoration services as needed. Water mitigation services prevent further damage from happening and are focused on getting your property and belongings out of harm's way. In comparison, water restoration services are done to repair the existing damage water caused to your property.
While water mitigation and water restoration services can be performed separately, most professional restoration companies will rely on both methods to restore a home after water damage.
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT WATER RESTORATION AND MITIGATION
There are many misconceptions about water restoration and mitigation procedures. Here are three of the most common ones, as well as the truth behind them:
1. IT'S MORE COST-EFFECTIVE TO REPLACE THAN TO RESTORE.
In many cases, relying on a water restoration company to clean and salvage your home's structure and materials actually costs less than completely replacing them. An experienced restoration company will understand which materials must be replaced and which ones are salvageable.
2. YOUR CARPETS AND WALLS WILL DRY ON THEIR OWN.
While carpets and drywall may dry on their own over time, the real issue is that moisture can hide underneath and behind these materials. Putting yourself and others at jeopardy of health issues resulting from mold exposure is not worth the risk. A professional restoration company can use advanced meters and sensors to measure the level of moisture that's present and effectively reduce your risk of mold growth.
White vinegar can help kill and remove small traces of mold, but extensive mold requires professional remediation. A mold remediation company has the expertise to effectively remove signification traces of mold.
3. IT'S MORE COST-EFFECTIVE TO HANDLE THE WATER MITIGATION AND RESTORATION PROCESS ON YOUR OWN.
This may hold true in some cases, but a botched repair can actually cost you more money in the long run. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the task of cleaning up after a flood may be too difficult or dangerous for you to do alone.
CALL THE EXPERTS AT SERVICEMASTER RESTORE TO DEAL WITH WATER DAMAGE ON YOUR PROPERTY
If you need help with water mitigation and restoration after an emergency, call the experts at ServiceMaster Restore. Our technicians are accessible 24/7 every day of the year to help get your home back to normal as quickly as possible.
Whether you need water damage or storm damage repair, we can help. Contact us today to learn more about our water damage services and how we can help you rebuild after the worst.
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