A Practical Look At Water Damage Restoration

In the aftermath of extensive flooding in a building, the renewal and refurbishment of the premises can begin with the water damage restoration procedure. The processes include the important elements of the cleansing of the inside and the outside of the building and the complete rebuilding of any structure that has been severely damaged.

The government of the United States does not have any policies with regard to the formulation of any set restoration procedures, but two important institutions recommend a set of standard guidelines for this work. One of the institutions is the IICRC and the other is the RIA. The IICRC's standard is the S500. The majority of restoration companies follow the IICRC recommendations as they are based on sound restoration principles, reliable research and a wealth of experience gained from many years of practical work from a variety of sources.

International and local trade federations, chemical conglomerates, scientific groups, suppliers of equipment, professionals to the trade, and insurance assessors for the restoration industry are the main contributors of the data for the S500 standard. The recommendations contained in the standard are being reviewed constantly in order to stay abreast with new processes, testing techniques and technology.

A set of standards have been drawn up for the restoration process to homes, buildings and other water or sewage damaged structures requiring specific, specialised precautions.

Materials affected due to serious water contamination are usually documented by professional restoration services who use industry standard costing tables to work out the exact value of those materials and their service lost or damaged.

Services for the inspection of water damaged areas include the use of water detecting instruments such as probes, and various infrared devices to locate the source of the damage and the extent of the affected area.

The actual restoration process, which will include drying the building out, sanitizing all cross contaminated or affected areas then deodorizing the materials in these areas, may now begin. Upon completion of this work, the specialized damage measuring apparatus can now be utilized. The equipment includes such tools as dehumidifiers, air movers, air scrubbers, systems for drying wooden floors and drying devices for below floors. After approximately two to three days, during which the appliances are left in the building, a re-evaluation takes place in order to monitor the results of the drying process. Any equipment not needed after this check, is removed in order to minimize charges.

The personnel involved in the restoration work often have to perform their duties while surrounded by the personal effects of the home owner. These include such items as electronic appliances, books, furniture and any other items that have been affected by the water contamination. If these items have to be moved around, the restoration firm often charge for this by the hour. House contents may also require specialized treatment to restore them after being damaged by water.

If moisture content, temperature and humidity have been brought to an acceptable and safe level, the equipment may be removed and the restoration process would be deemed to be complete. Often, property owners, homeowners, and building maintenance operatives use their own staff for water damage restoration to save costs, but it is recommended that professionals should be hired for the work.