Considering DIY Water Damage Cleanup?

Did you just walk into a wet mess at home? If you have found water damage, you need to quickly clean it up. Once you’ve shut down the water source and electricity, you may be staring at puddles and wondering, “What now?” It’s time to assess and 1) do the water damage repair or 2) get professional help. Either way, you need to decide and get to work immediately. Wet materials can develop very serious problems like mold in 24-48 hours. You don’t have time to wait.

To determine whether you will clean up the area yourself or hire water damage restoration experts, the first thing you want to do is to evaluate the situation and consider a few of the following factors:

Water Volume

If your home is experiencing a small or moderate amount of water, a handy person with the correct tools can often manage it. However, if there is significant flooding, uncontrolled water, or a time constraint, it is best to call a professional like Crossroads Property Rescue. 

When your neighborhood is recovering from a natural disaster or large flood, and your home has suffered significant damage, it is not the time for a DIY project. Follow the instructions from your local disaster relief authorities and leave these repairs to the experts.

Source of Damage

Before you dive into water damage restoration, you need to determine where the water originated. There are three types of water of concern:

1. Clean water: From rain or leaky pipes, this water does not contain harmful chemicals and is safe to handle yourself.
2. Gray water: Leaking from appliances like your dishwasher, toilet, or washing machine gray water may be slightly contaminated. 
3. Blackwater: The most harmful type of water, blackwater comes from the sewer or flooding from a nearby water source such as a river. It often contains health hazards and is unsafe to handle. You need a team with the correct training, equipment and protocols to control the danger. 

Damage Level

Lastly, you’ll want to assess the level of damage. For example, light damage on exposed and accessible baseboards can often be handled by the homeowner. However, significant damage can be hazardous and dangerous to repair without the help of a professional. For example, if flooding on an upper level has seeped through the floor onto the ceiling, the damage will be beyond your ability to safely restore.

Possibility of Serious Mold Issues

Professional water clean up teams are familiar with identifying areas of potential mold problems. Mold can start to grow in the right conditions in as little as 24 hours. For long-term issues, like mold caused by attic condensation, the mold may have started growing a long time ago. And if you find mold and mildew issues, you need to be very careful. Some mold is toxic to humans, and all mold is very damaging to the materials it infests. For small mold issues, cut out the material, bag it, and throw it away immediately. For serious mold issues, get out of the area, shut down any airflow (to avoid spore contamination) and call a professional. And keep in mind that mold can show up in hidden areas like inside walls or under floors, so this inspection and water damage repair will be ongoing.

Water Damage Cleanup in Prairieville

Water spills are a common occurrence. If you have a small (12x 12 inch) area or water damage, you can attempt to clean it yourself. If the area is larger, or if you can’t complete cleanup in 48 hours, get a professional repair team in now. Every day that you delay increases the amount of damage and the potential for mold. Crossroads Property Rescue provides emergency property restoration and decontamination services to Bridgeport  and throughout the tri-state area.