Ways Flood Damage Restoration Can Help You

Ways Flood Damage Restoration Can Help You

Floods are natural disasters that can sometimes devastate communities. When a major flood impacts your home, the potential damage can leave any homeowner feeling helpless.

From mold growth and contaminants to furniture and utility damage, floods bring any number of hazards that increase the need for damage restoration. Here are 5 ways that flood damage restoration can help you:

Flood Water Removal

Flood water inside your home can be very toxic. If your home flooded too suddenly to allow you time to switch off your fuse box or gas line, flood water can go from poisonous to outright deadly.

Contaminants from outside are also very likely to be found in floodwaters that can seep into the home. These include infectious diseases, human & animal waste, hazardous waste from coal ash or industrial facilities (depending on your home’s proximity to buildings that contain or emit pollutants and the severity of the flood), debris, or even live animals. For this reason, removing flood water is the primary concern following any major flood.

Building Decontamination

The next issue that tends to arise after a flood has occurred in the home is lingering contaminants. Because any number of contaminants can be found in flood water depending on the category of the flood water, any number or type of contaminant(s) could be found in your home afterward. This makes decontamination essential.

It is recommended that you seek an outside service to perform this task, however, as it is likely for flood water to contain hazardous or toxic contaminants best handled by trained professionals. Decontaminating your residence after a flood can save your household medical problems down the road.

Clearing Out Damaged Furniture

Water damage and contamination of furniture are a given concern of any major flood, but even minor indoor floods can pose an acute problem that proves harmful over time. Water damage can wear down the adhesives of older and/or wooden furniture pieces, sometimes leaving the piece with increasing structural damage.

Contamination is much the same, as leather is a porous material and thus very capable of harboring bacteria and fungi. Many victims of major floods aren’t financially able to replace large furniture pieces, and often have their furniture dried and assessed personally or professionally.

It is important that you have this done with either a reputable 3rd party assessment tool or service to be sure, but if your mold tests come up positive or the furniture damage is structural, removing it from your home can save you costs & health issues.

Structural Damage Assessment

Major floods can cause damage to many parts of your home, making subsequent damage assessments integral to maintaining it. A class 2 or higher flood can leave buckled floors, damaged appliances, frayed electrical wires, and damaged septic systems.

A larger flood could leave roof or foundational cracks. If your home has suffered structural damage due to a flood, it is important that you assess with caution, and involve professionals if you find any sign of lasting electrical damage, smoking appliances, damage to your gas line, etc.

Mold/Mildew Prevention & Treatment

Water flooding into your home brings the risk of mold and/or mildew growth. According to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), mold can begin to grow on any damp surface within 24-48 hours.

If your home has suffered a class 1 flood (only a small portion of the room is affected, little to no absorption), at-home mold testing is a practical and reliable option, depending on the test’s brand.

A class 2 or higher flood brings the risk of deeper mold growth due to deeper moisture absorption. An at-home test might not pick up on more subtle mold growth, and most homeowners might not be aware of the level or specificity of the tests required.

Professional mold testing and treatment is essential to mitigating health risks in your home following a flood, and drying your home is just as essential.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re shoveling water out of your home, drying furniture and appliances, checking and wiping down affected surfaces, or checking for mold in your walls and floors, flood damage restoration is an important part of moving forward from a flood.

If you are dealing with a flood, don’t make it a DIY project! Instead, trust our team of experts at JDR Restoration to get the job done fast and correctly, the first time.