If You Have Water Damage Miami

We Provide Necessary Steps To Resolution

You have had a horrible incident at your home or business, it’s water damage in Miami.  Either you have experienced a broken or burst pipe, a leaking roof, flooding from a storm, a washing machine gone wrong, or some other circumstance that has left you with water damage.  Regardless of what caused the damage, you have to quickly access your losses, understand what you need to recover and clean up the mess as well as understand if you need a professional to come in and assist you.  Of course first and foremost is to understand the extent of the damage, and what caused the problem.  As soon as you can after the incident, take pictures, and make sure you take pictures of everything.  Documenting the extent of the damage in this manner allows you to provide your insurance company with the detailed account of your loses.  Making a determination of who is going to take control of the clean up and acting with urgency could save everything you have.

Here are a List of Miami Businesses That Can Help Water Damage Miami

Assessing The Damage

Assessing the damage and understanding the extent of the clean up can be a fairly simple process, that is if the damage is small.  You can quickly remove items from the water, mop up or get a wet vacuum and remove the water, then dry the area affected, with fans or large blowers depending on the size of the affected area. You have to be sure everything is dried completely and that you have lifted and removed items where water might hide in small spaces.  A limited area of damage with a small amount of water is not a big problem.   However, if the damage is significant you will want to contact your insurance company, and hire a certified restoration company.  The key to any damage is to address the situation quickly, as the sooner you can get in and get started on repair, the easier and less damaging it is to your property.  Any furniture or fixtures that are exposed to the water can be damaged.  Wooden items may become swollen, warped, or be completely ruined.  Your foundation can be impacted, your floors depending on if they are carpet or wood will need special treatment, and the task is not simple or easy.  Depending on if the water was rising from the bottom, or came pouring in from the top, easily impacts the level of damage and content damage you might have experienced.  It is very important when identifying the root of the water damage, to use this in your evaluation of damage.

Having a professional come in and provide you with a specific detailed assessment will be valuable in reclaiming and restoring your property.  Your insurance company will have a good understanding of what has been damaged and speed up your claims process.  The sooner you have everything identified the quicker you can begin restoration.  Of course the level of damage and the cause of the problem play the biggest part in what will need to happen.  If you had severe damage, from flooding or very deep water, you will have to start with the exterior of the home, checking all the windows, walls, roof, brick or siding, gutters, chimney, and other structural damage that may have occurred.  Then you have to move to the interior of the home and have things checked from top to bottom, which includes your attic and a basement if your home has one.  An electrician will have to check all your wiring and the restoration company will make sure all your plumbing is intact, your walls are free from moisture and the entire premises checked for mold.  During the assessment period you will be required to make a list of all the personal property that will be included in the damage report and be prepared to present to your insurance company.  This list along with the pictures you took of the damage will allow you to provide a full documented report for your insurance claim.

If you do not wish to contact one of the Water Damage Miami Businesses Now is the time for you to clean up.

Restoration and Tools Needed

Water Damage Miami

Now that you have total understanding of your damage, and know that this is not as simple as soaking up the water and letting it dry, you are ready to have a restoration company provide you with proper equipment and services.  If your water damage was slight and you chose to use a shop vac or local carpet cleaning service then your work may be complete.  If you have retained the services of a professional restoration company then you will be seeing a carpet extractor that is very large, normally mounted on a truck, and professional fans that create tremendous airflow and drying power.  The process used by your professional restoration company will vary depending on each situation, but the clean up and drying process is very structured and controls humidity levels, sometimes dehumidifiers will be used as well as it may require drywall work, replacing insulation, flooring, and other construction repairs.

Water damage restoration is quite an extensive process and will take several days, weeks or months depending on the extent of your home damage.  Proper preparation and the detailed care the professional company will provide will allow you to live in your home going forward with confidence and no long term structural issues.  Hiring a professional service to take on the restoration of your home and take care of the clean up provides you with a sense of relief, and it is their business, from a total understanding of what caused the damage, to providing every repair needed.  The equipment they have will also detect moisture or water that you might not even be aware of and prevent you from mold or other structural problems later on.  You may not be aware, but mold can grow very quickly and because there are over eighty thousand types of mold, you will be glad you had a professional insure your safety in your home.

The professional service will use vacuums which contain a high efficiency particulate air filter or have an external exhaust that insures dry and clean areas.  Any area that was exposed to the water will need to be cleaned with mild detergent, rinsing and wiping the area down.  This is true for wood surfaces, and in some instances you might need to sand and restore if mold can not be removed or rotting occurs.  If your flooring is concrete then the vacuum, drying, and detergent clean up should take care of your issues.  Your restoration service may use trisodium phosphate in some instances if needed to remove the mold.  Your wallboard will be cleaned to insure no mold growth and will probably require a new coat of paint when it is clean and dry.  The drying and dehumidification of your home is a really technical process and not only will require the proper equipment but placement, timing, and monitoring is critical in the success of having your home mold and contamination free.  The ability to save your carpet is not as hard as it was years earlier, but again you have to insure it is done in the right manner.  Carpet restoration or replacement will be determined by your restoration expert, as you might be able to replace the padding and save the carpet, in some cases you may have to replace both.  Regardless of the outcome of your carpet, it still must be removed, the floor underneath cleaned and dried, and then your padding and carpet replaced.

Recovery

Once you have your insurance company satisfied and a professional service has restored your home, there are still things you need to verify and insure are complete.  Of course the most obvious, the source of your water damage was understood and repaired.  All of your damaged property that could not be salvaged was removed and or destroyed.  The items that remained were placed where they could dry and action was taken quickly to remove the water and items within 24 hours after the damage occurred.  No construction or refinishing was done prior to full drying of all items.  Make sure your restoration company is reputable and you have references or have checked the company to be sure you will be satisfied with their service.  Your insurance company normally will make recommendations for you.  Before you release the insurance adjuster, and your restoration company make sure you verify all the work, insure the repairs are done to your satisfaction and the cleaning is complete.  Never get frustrated or give up during the restoration process, it can be a long road, but with the proper professionals by your side, your property will be restored and looking lovely again in no time.  Making the initial decision to take care of the water damage yourself, or hiring a professional service is your first step.  Remember, the extent of the damage should be your guide and saving your home or business is totally based on your quick actions, taking fast recovery steps and putting your foundation in the hands of those who make water damage recovery their business.