The Storm After the Calm – Recovering from Interior Water Damage

Opening up your home after a heavy rainstorm or flood only to discover standing water, soggy carpets, soaked drywall and buckling hardwoods is every homeowner’s nightmare. But while the initial water damage may look hopeless, with some swift action and the help of water damage restoration experts, your home can return back to normal quicker than you may expect.

In this article we’ll explore common causes of interior water damage, risks of letting it sit, steps you can take to start the restoration process, and when to call on the pros for water damage repair assistance. With some tlc for your home, this too shall pass.

Common Causes of Interior Water Damage

Getting to the root cause of the water damage swiftly is key for proper water damage restoration. Here are some of the most common culprits of interior flooding:

• Plumbing leaks or pipe bursts – Kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms with extensive plumbing systems are prone to leaks from loose fittings, cracks, freezing pipes and general wear and tear.
• Overflows from appliances or fixtures – Washing machines, sinks, bathtubs and toilets can all overflow from clogs, back-ups or equipment breakdowns.
• Seepage from exterior issues – Poor drainage, gutter backups, landscaping beds blocking foundation walls, cracks in the foundation or leaky windows or doors during heavy rain can funnel water inside.
• Broken sump pumps – Sump pumps help prevent underground water from infiltrating basements and crawlspaces. But over time debris can clog them or mechanical failures can render them useless.

No matter the cause, stopping the flow of water as soon as possible is the first step toward interior water damage restoration and repair.

Risks of Letting Water Damage Sit

While it may be tempting to let water-logged materials air dry on their own, sitting water can wreak havoc in your home. Delaying water damage repair can allow mold growth, structural damage and health hazards to take root.

• Mold growth – Wet conditions combined with damp drywall, insulation, carpets and wood create the ideal breeding ground for toxic black mold. Delaying water extraction allows it to spread underneath surfaces making removal much more difficult.
• Warping and rotting – Standing water has a way of seeping into cracks and soaking building materials to their core. Wood floors and framing will swell, warp and eventually rot from extended moisture exposure.
• Bacteria and allergens – Water often carries dirt, bacteria and allergens along with it. Letting it fester gives these irritants and germs time to be released into living spaces as materials dry out. This can lower air quality and trigger allergic reactions or even serious illness.

The key is to quickly remove any standing water and use professional drying equipment like dehumidifiers, air movers and specialty vacuums to accelerate evaporation before problems have time take hold. Call water damage specialists immediately rather than trying diy fixes to limit damage.

Initial Steps for Water Damage Restoration

While calling water damage restoration professionals is highly recommended for the best outcome, there are some initial response steps you can take to get the process started and limit damage immediately:

• Eliminate the source – If repairs are simple like turning off water valves, clearing debris from sump pumps or fixing leaky pipes or overflow issues at the source, handle it before tackling water extraction so the area stops flooding.
• Remove excess water – Use a wet-dry shop vacuum, sump pump or mops to remove all visible standing water if electrical safety can be maintained. Open doors and windows to allow fresh air circulation without jeopardizing comfortable living spaces.
• Safely cut power if needed – If water is near outlets, appliances or electrical panels, shut off power to prevent electrical fires or shock hazards. Only restore power once all areas are confirmed fully dry later in the water damage process.
• Mitigate moisture spread – Block doors and seal vents between wet and dry areas with plastic sheeting to keep moisture isolated in the affected space during water extraction. This will also make restoration efforts more focused.
• Document with photos/video – Capture images of all water-damaged areas and where it appears to be coming from before removal and cleanup efforts muddle the evidence. This documentation helps with insurance claims and ensures all impact areas are addressed.

Knowing When to Call the Pros

While containing the initial deluge is wise, restoration of soaked materials, structural repairs and drying out embedded moisture requires professional equipment and expertise before mold gains a foothold. Signs it’s time to hand over interior water damage repair to the experts include:

• Standing water remains beyond 24 hours – If water continues seeping back in or fails to lower after your efforts, a professional team with commercial pump and vacuum capacity is needed to fully extract it.
• Wet carpet or drywall covers large areas – Anything more than small swatches of soaked carpeting, insulation or drywall will be nearly impossible to adequately handle without commercial fans, dehumidifiers and drying equipment.
• You detect mold – If you smell that musty mildew odor or see the first spots of mold growth, professionals have antimicrobial agents and remediation tools needed to halt its spread during the restoration process.
• Structural damage is present – From disintegrating drywall to warped siding, swelling wood floors to detaching tile, anything beyond cosmetic moisture damage requires a structural repair specialist.

If you believe water has had time set in for over 48 hours or impacted over 10 square feet of drywall or carpet, immediately seek professional interior water damage restoration. Hardware stores rent basic carpet cleaning machinery, but fully restoring flooded building materials and dried out structures professionally is the only way to prevent long-term issues.

What Water Damage Restoration Professionals Do

Once called in water damage repair experts utilize an array of methods and high-tech gear to fully remediate flooded interiors. Typical interior water damage restoration includes:

• In-depth drying – Using commercial dehumidification and air circulation systems they thoroughly dry out soaked structural cavities behind walls, under floors and inside furniture where moisture could be trapped.
• Extraction and sanitizing – They deep clean drenched carpets and upholstery using professional suction equipment and antimicrobial or enzymatic cleaners to remove residue that supports mold. Soaked insulation or drywall is removed and disposed of.
• Monitoring and testing – They use moisture detection systems to continually monitor humidity levels and material moisture content. Once restored to normal levels based on scientific testing, drying equipment is removed.
• Structural repairs – Damaged aspects like sagging floors, crumbling drywall or peeling finishes are refurbished by specialists to customize repairs based on your décor. Warped areas can be removed and reinforced or refinished.
• Preventative treatments – Many apply antimicrobial coatings on restored porous surfaces as an added safeguard against future mold intrusions during the interior water damage repair process.

With commercial grade vacuum tools, heavy duty dehumidifiers and air scrubbers combined with structural repair expertise, water damage restoration pros have everything needed to thoroughly dry out your home and repair it to pre-loss condition.

Interior Water Damage Restoration Key Takeaways

1. Act swiftly when interior flooding occurs via plumbing leaks or exterior seepage to limit the area impacted before permanent damage is done. Extract what liquid you can initially while following electrical safety precautions.
2. Be aware of health hazards from mold growth when water is left stagnant in materials for over 48 hours and call in professional water damage restoration immediately in these cases.
3. Attempting DIY interior water damage repairs often spreads microbial growth deeper into structural cavities and delays thorough drying, so the pros are best suited for handling anything beyond minor flooding.
4. Documenting the initial water loss event with photos aids insurance claims and ensures no moisture pockets are overlooked by the water damage repair experts.
5. Commercial drying equipment, moisture detection tools and structural repair capabilities give water damage restoration specialists an advantage over DIY efforts when restoring extensive interior water damage.
6. Even after pros handle remediation, don’t restore power or return furnishings until all areas test at normal moisture levels to prevent recurrence of water damage issues.
7. Follow water damage pro’s preventative advice, like rerouting drainage or repairing cracked foundations that led to flooding, to dodge repeat events down the road.

Water damage restoration can seem like an impossible DIY mountain to climb. But by leaving extensive interior water loss issues promptly in the hands of restoration professionals, your home can often be restored back to normal much faster than attempting extensive repairs yourself. Their specialized gear, repair knowledge and tracking processes limit permanent damage and health hazards so you can breathe easy again.