1.What should I do immediately after a water leak or flood?

Even a small accident like an overflown sink or bathtub possesses the potential to cause as much damage as a heavy flood. Here is a list of what you need to do immediately after leak:

• Call your insurance company immediately.
• Call a water damage restoration company to provide you with expert advice on how to proceed with the restoration process.

To minimize the damage you should :

• If the leak is from plumbing like a burst pipe you should switch off the water immediately.
• If the water is from rainwater floods, as soon the rain stops pump the water out.
• If the waterflood is extensive turn off the electricity! To avoid be electrocuted. All electric appliances should also be unplugged in place in a dry place, dry and no attempt should be made to turn the water-soaked devices on. To avoid them short-circuiting.
•  Any movable water-soaked item should be moved to a safe drying place.

2.What are the main causes of water damage or flood damage?

There can be several causes of water damage:

• leaking or busted pipes.
• Storm floods.
• Leaking roof and walls.
• Overflow of sink or bathtubs or sewer back up.
• Gradual leaking plumbing.
• Increased relative humidity indoors.

Click here - for more information on these and other causes of water damage.

Before you embark on any restoration activities it is important for you to ensure you have identified the source of the water damage.

3.Is water damage covered under my home insurance?

This all depends on your home insurance policy terms and conditions. Most home insurance today covers for accidental water damage like storm floods and busted pipes among other events that can cause water damage.

However, most insurance companies will decline to compensate you for water damage considered caused by their own negligence like gradual water damage.

To understand how water damage insurance claims are made – check out our comprehensive article on water damage insurance claims. 

NOTE: it is important to ensure regular maintenance of the plumbing and ventilation systems and the roof. Also, inform your insurance company immediately you encounter a water damage issue.    

4.What damage is likely to be caused by floods?

The damage any flood can cause will solely depend on how extensive the water damage is. The extent of water damage is classified into 3 classes :

Class 1 –  This is the least harmful and easy to remedy as the materials have absorbed very little water.

Class 2 -  the water has damaged the carpet and floor tiles. Repair is more difficult compared to class 1.

Class 3 -  Damages may include soaked furniture and walls. The sources of water are mainly overhead sources like a broken roof letting a lot of rainwater indoors.

Depending on the class of damage might need to pay for repairs to the walls, the floors, the roof, or the foundation. Here is more information classifications of water damage.

5.How long should the restoration process take?

This too is dependent on the extent of water damage incurred. The water damage restoration process is a multiple-phase process.

The initial process is clean up – removing all water clogged items. Restoration is mostly about drying the home walls, floor, and household items.

There are two factors to considers determining the time required for the drying process. Factors like :

• The type of material.
• The amount of time the material or household item was exposed to water.

The final restoration step is repair and replacement.

The period of restoration to be completed is dependent on how effective the drying techniques implemented are.  

6.How long does it take for mold to begin to grow?

Mold is known to thrive in wet damp places. Mold begins to grow in less than 48 hours on just about any material that gets soaked in water.

Once water damage occurs it creates the perfect environment for mode growth. Mold produces mold spores that are proven allergens that can cause eye and respiratory problems and trigger asthma attacks.

7.Why is dehumidification necessary?

Short answer YES!

Dehumidification is the process of extracting excess moisture from the air in any space. Most homeowners only classify floods and burst or leaking people as water damage.

The greatest threat to your home’s structural integrity is increased moisture in the air indoors. Increase relative humidity levels indoors is the cause of gradual water damage. Gradual water damage includes paint and wallpaper peeling off the walls, wood warping, paint discoloration among others.

8.Is it a must I hire a  certified water damage restoration expert?

Hiring a Team is important because they assist u with water damage clean up, mold remediation, and dehumidification, especially if the water damage is extensive.

An expert will help you understand what to do and what not to do. For example simple question how do you check if an electrical appliance is wet? Most people will just hold the appliance and feel if it is wet with their bare hands. An expert will warn you against this as you can get electrocuted.

Hire a water damage expert that is certified by the institute of inspection cleaning and restoration(IICRC).

However, if you identify the cause of the water damage is increased humidity you can just invest in an alorair dehumidifier today and experience the magic of superior indoor humidity control.

9.What the different categories of floodwater?

There are 3 categories :

• Clean water flood- flood from clean water.
• Gray water flood – gray in color and can cause illness to people if consumed.
• Blackwater flood – dark in color. Contains sewage. Very toxic.

10.How do I salvage my wet furniture and household items?

It all depends on the extent of damage and material of each item – so materials absorb more water than others, while some are easily destroyed by water, others are not.

For more information feel free to call or email us, we are committed to providing you with prompt assistance.