Water Damage

Water damage occurs whenever the level of water is equal to or exceeds its point of entry in a structure, whether it is natural (storm, creek, etc.) or man-made (damaged pipe/wastewater system). This means that there are several different categories of water damage for restoration professionals.

        The "classification" of water damage is defined by the amount of time that has passed between the initial intrusion and clean up. It's important to understand this so that proper steps can be taken to mitigate the damages and restore your home or business as fast as possible.

        Generally, there are four different types of water damage restoration services:

            1) Cleanup and salvage

            2) Cleanup and restoration

            3) Cleanup, restoration, and reconstruction (includes rebuilding as well as any additional work such as tear-out/removal of existing sheetrock, insulation, etc.)

        *Note: The cleanup stage is the actual removal of the water from affected areas. This can be done by pumps, fans, air movers, dehumidifiers, etc. The restoration stage is the actual drying process that takes places after the water has been removed from structural components. After this stage is complete you have a structure with no visible signs of damage which can then be redecorated and put back into use. Reconstruction is essentially rebuilding what was lost due to the water damage.

        All of these stages are important for mitigating further damage and minimizing time spent restoring your home or business, so it's crucial to have a professional on the job as soon as possible.

        After clean up has been completed by us, we will also need to decide whether or not the water damage is a large enough job to warrant reconstruction. For example, small flooding incidents with limited damaged components may require just simple clean up and restoration, whereas an overflowing sewage pipe that has completely filled the room with raw sewage will likely require both clean-up and reconstruction.

        Be sure to check your homeowner's insurance policy for coverage of water damage and restoration work. A few things to keep in mind:

        1) Coverage doesn't usually go into effect until 72 hours after the initial incident

        2) Most policies will cover clean up and restoration only - not reconstruction (although there are exceptions, so be sure to check beforehand)

        3) Expansion of coverage is possible if you have previously paid to increase limits on existing policies

        *Note: If you are planning to file a claim for water damage, be sure to ask your restoration company how they will classify the service so that your insurance policy can be confirmed beforehand. This way there are no surprises later down the road and you can rest assured that your claim will be paid for properly. Keep in mind, we will help you with insurance claims!

        You should also keep in mind that some types of water damage may require fire restoration services as well. If the water damage has resulted from a fire incident, we can refer you to our partners to immediately mitigate further damages!

And remember, no matter the scope of the job, we're always available 24/7 for your water damage restoration service!

You can learn more about Water Damage here.