If your property takes water damage in any circumstances, the first step to be taken before restoring the property is to mitigate any further damage. This is why water mitigation services are of utmost importance.
Water mitigation entails assessing, containing, and preventing additional damage from occurring as a result of a water loss. That is the primary responsibility of any company or individual engaged in water mitigation. Water mitigation also entails extracting water from the property to restore its condition.
In this blog, we will discover the role of a mitigation company. Along with that, we will learn what water mitigation is and what the difference is between water mitigation and remediation.
What Does A Mitigation Company Do?
Water damage, be it in homes or offices, can often get very severe. You should always get a professional water mitigation company to do the job instead of trying to fix the damage yourself.
DIYs end up in disasters regarding standing water and any leftover water that may be saturating carpeting or other porous building materials. As we do not have adequate knowledge and tools to do the job correctly, trying and fixing this problem is never advised.
Furthermore, algae and bacteria films begin to grow on all moist surfaces 48-72 hours after water damage. So, if you’re not sure what you can do, leave the situation to the experts.
A water mitigation professional is in charge of removing water from the property. Aside from that, they concentrate on drying the area in order to begin the restoration process. Water-mitigating professionals use high-quality drying equipment and products to minimize damage as much as possible. Furthermore, their expertise, knowledge, and experience significantly make this procedure seamless and successful.
Knowing how to deal with various sorts of water damage also aids them in providing better service. Most essential, they determine the level of water damage and assist in filing insurance claims.
The Common Causes of Water Damage
Discovering water damage in your house can be troubling and cause many inconveniences. Let us see some common causes of water damage in your house.
Pipes That Have Burst
For various reasons, pipes can leak, break and cause your water main to burst. It could be due to freezing temperatures, or it could be due to old, worn-out pipes.
Flooded Appliances
Frequently, the appliances designed to make our lives easier can cause extensive water damage in the home, necessitating the use of professional water damage services.
A faulty drain or a persistent drip can cause your toilet to overflow, your refrigerator and dishwasher to leak, and your bathtub to overflow.
Even your washing machine can sustain water damage if its supply line fails, flooding your laundry room or, in some cases, your entire home. Your A/C and water heaters are prime suspects regarding leaky, faulty appliances in your home.
Natural Disasters
Mother Nature is unpredictable, so many unwary homeowners rely on water damage services. Flooding, storm damage, and other severe disaster-related water damage frequently necessitate an immediate response.
Sewer Problems
It’s unpleasant to consider, but backups in your sewer pipe are frequently caused by tree roots blocking your drains.
As previously stated, this backup can also occur following a severe thunderstorm or natural disaster. This is not only disgusting but also a serious health risk. If you have water damage from a sewer backup, you should never try to fix it yourself. Rather, rely on water damage restoration professionals.
Humidity
High moisture trapped in your home can sometimes cause havoc. This is especially true in the case of excessive humidity, which, if left untreated, can cause musty odors or even mold growth. Dehumidification treatments can be provided quickly by professional water damage services.
Is Water Mitigation Effective?
Statistics show that 93% of water damage can be prevented by using successful water mitigation. That is to say, the majority of the damage caused by water to a property is actually caused by the long-term effects of inadequately cleaned-up water, rather than the initial damage.
This highlights the importance of proper mitigation and restoration. It is also critical to take preventative measures to avoid further damage. Only after you’ve mitigated and restored can you start thinking about prevention.
Water mitigation is a short-term solution because it is aimed at preventing immediate further deterioration. A water mitigation company can assist you in dealing with the current issue. Once the threat has passed, you must consider long-term solutions that prevent further damage and flooding from occurring in the first place.
This can include a variety of tactics, such as changing the slope of your landscaping, installing basement drainage, or more drastic solutions, such as constructing a wall to prevent flooding.
Simple Steps To Prevent Water Damage To Property
- Check For Leaks Ahead Of Time
Minor leaks can go undetected for a long time and cause severe harm if left unchecked. Consider that a dripping faucet can waste up to 57 gallons (260 liters) of water every week. Look for stray water beneath sinks and around equipment like dishwashers and washing machines.
- Check That Your Sump Pump Is Operational
The sump pump, which is common in basement homes, performs an essential function in ensuring that your basement does not flood after prolonged periods of rain. If you have one, make sure it’s well-maintained, cleaned regularly, and serviced at least once a year.
- Keep Debris Out Of Your Gutters
While leaves are the most prevalent cause of blocked gutters, this isn’t just an October problem. Moss and weeds are frequently identified as primary culprits. Blocked gutters have a crucial role in moisture problems. If you see water flowing down the side of your house or if your gutters look to be sagging, they’re probably blocked and need to be cleaned.
How Much Does Water Mitigation Cost?
Mitigating water damage is a complex procedure that can be costly. There are many factors to consider, including the type of water and the extent of the damage. Areas that are hard to access, like crawlspaces and attics, also impact the cost of water mitigation.
These costs don’t include any reconstruction, such as painting, repairing water-damaged drywall, or floor covering.
Insurance may sometimes cover some or all of the costs associated with water damage restoration. However, checking with your insurance company before filing any claims is always a good idea.
Steps Of Water Mitigation
Several steps need to be taken by the mitigation services to assess, contain and prevent more damage than what has already occurred on a property. Here are three steps the company would take to mitigate the water damage;
- Stop The Flow Of Water
In many cases, water intrusion is the result of natural causes like extreme weather conditions or excessive rainfall. It will have already stopped coming in by the time a contractor arrives on site.
In other situations, the mitigation company may have to shut off a faucet, appliance, or the main water valve to a property, and provide emergency roof repairs to cover the roof with tarps or shrink-wrap roofing material.
Identifying the cause of the water loss and ensuring more water doesn’t enter the property is a big part of preventing further damage and a big part of a mitigation company’s job. In some cases, the property owner may be unsure of or apprehensive to attempt to stop the flow of water by themself.
- Determine Mitigation Needs
The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC), the premiere association serving the cleaning and restoration industry, classifies flood water into three categories: 1, 2, and 3.
Category 1 water is sometimes referred to as “clean water,” as it is similar to water from a faucet but may have come from a damaged water line or an overflowing tub. Category 2 water is known as “grey water” and likely contains some chemical contaminants and/or debris.
Category 3 water is highly polluted “black water” that may contain raw sewage, seawater, river water, and other contaminants. Determining the quality of the water and if it poses a concern to property occupants is part of a mitigation company’s overall assessment.
- Extracting Water And Drying Out
Finally, the mitigation company will also likely extract any standing water from the property and may subsequently deploy portable extractors to extract any remaining water still within the property.
Following extraction, the next step of water damage restoration can occur, involving a dry-out of the affected areas. The sooner they can dry an area, the less likelihood there is for secondary damage or mold growth, and the sooner your life can return to normal.
What Is Water Remediation?
Water remediation is to remedy or reverse any damages caused by water. In simpler terms, the remediation process is the process of cleaning, sanitizing, and restoring any damages that have been caused by an accumulation of unwanted water in a home or business.
Water Mitigation Vs. Remediation
Property disaster specialists commonly use the terms mitigation and restoration. There may not appear to be much of a difference between the two, but knowing which service to hire can save you time and money in the long run.
The act of reducing the severity of a situation is known as mitigation. When a disaster strikes your home or business, mitigation professionals take precautions to prevent further damage.
Restoration is the process by which experts rebuild or repair your property to make it as good as new. This step follows mitigation and is critical in providing complete disaster relief.
The water damage restoration process consists of several steps to ensure that the property is properly restored and that subsequent damage and mold growth do not occur.
Your restoration company, along with a team of professionals, will usually work with your property owner’s insurance company to assist with filing claims and ensuring that everything goes smoothly from start to finish.
While separate companies can handle mitigation and restoration, it’s often easy for property owners to have one company that does both water mitigation and restoration.
The two are like sides of the same coin, one about preventing damage and the other about restoring the damage. Thereby, it makes sense that a water mitigation crew may also offer water damage restoration services since a lack of cleanup can lead to structural damage.
Things To Consider When Hiring A Mitigation Company
If you require professional mitigation services, there are a few things to keep in mind before hiring.
- Make sure that it is a licensed, bonded, and insured company.
- It has experience working with complex projects requiring coordination with multiple parties.
- It is experienced in managing staged restoration projects that may require parallel demolition and installation.
- It has experience working with water, fire, and mold damage repairs and restoration.
- And lastly, it has experience working with insurance companies on damage claims.
Why Should You Hire A Professional Company For Your Mitigation Needs?
There is a standard that professional companies follow. It is the IICRC S500 Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration, which also covers identifying the category of water and proper mitigation practices. These standards are also approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
Hiring a professional company ensures that the work done on your property is up to the mark. Since property damages in the long term are intensive and very costly, it is worth spending a little extra to ensure the standard is maintained.
Conclusion
If there is any sign of water damage in your home, it is best to act quickly. Molds can develop in 48 hours, and it can be very troublesome later on. You can hire a licensed mitigation company so that they can assess the damage and do what is necessary to keep your home safe and comfortable.