Water Damage – A Professional Assessment Can Help Prevent Future Health Risks

Frequent rains have been the culprits of various water damages around Orange County lately. Homeowners find that rain intruded their homes through a leaky roof or through defective doors or windows. Important to know is that water damage should not go by untreated and should be looked at by a professional. In fact a water damage loss should be tended to within a 72 hour time period.

According to the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), people often think water damage is simple and the excess water can just be mopped away; “unfortunately, this fails to consider the degree to which water can penetrate into structural cavities and assemblies, creating trapped pockets of saturation”(IICRC website). They further recommend you do not attempt to treat the water damage yourself, but hire a certified water restoration firm that employs professionals trained to assess and repair damage caused by the water. Homeowners cannot determine how far the water has traveled and whether it has gotten inside baseboards and walls, but a trained professional can locate hidden damage to ceilings, walls, flooring, and contents.

Water damage not treated properly can result in musty odors and worse, mold growth. “The consequences of ineffective restoration - including possible health effects - are far too great to leave water damage improperly restored.” says the IICRC on its website.

What to do when water damage strikes?

First, stay calm. Understandably, discovering that water has come into your home, soaking wood floors or carpets will put you in an initial shock and all you want is to find a quick solution. Here is what you should keep in mind when making your decisions:

1. Call a restoration professional immediately and have the technician come out, assess the damage and give you an estimate for restoring your property.

Stay away from companies that give you pricing over the phone. It seems convenient but can be costly afterwards. The extent of water damage cannot be assessed over the phone. Having someone come out and properly assess your loss will save you many headaches and money later on.

2. Call your insurance company and open a claim. Important: Don’t let your insurance company pressure you into using one of their “approved “ restoration vendors. By law, you have the right to choose any restoration company you wish. Unfortunately, insurance vendor programs often times create conflicts of interest, because the vendors in these programs are more interested in pleasing the insurance company (by keeping costs down), than in restoring your home properly.

3. Know that if your water damage has been caused by clean water like a broken water line (not contaminated black water from a sewage back up), chances are that your carpet or wood flooring does not need to be replaced. A qualified restoration firm knows how to save and restore your flooring; an important fact if insurance is not completely covering your loss.

To learn more about water damage restoration, Sparkle Restoration Services, Inc. in Orange County has posted some valuable information on its website, www.SparkleRestoration.com . Readers can find the helpful “Emergency Water Damage Guidelines” and can download a “Water Damage Brochure” with useful background information on water damage and details on the company’s unique ‘Active Drying Process’.

Sparkle Restoration is an IICRC certified Restoration Company serving the Orange County community since 2002. Services include 24/7 emergency water damage restoration, mold remediation, odor elimination, and specialized flooring and fabric cleaning services. To find out more about Sparkle Restoration Services please visit www.sparklerestoration.com or call 949-631 1001 or 714-641 6600.

To find an IICRC-certified water damage restoration firm outside Orange County, visit www.certifiedcleaners.org or call 1-800-835-4624.