The Benefits of a Water Restoration Professional Compared to DIY Fixes

5/5/2021 (Permalink)

let SERVPRO of ne Albuquerque help with your water restoration needs

When considering the multiple number of ways water can invade a house and remain undetected, it’s no surprise that water damage is the most prevalent type of damage found in homes and other structures. Whether it be intense rains that lead to flash floods, busted or leaking pipes, leaking roofs, or even high levels of humidity, all of these potential problems can lead to severe water damage inside your home.

Many people are tempted to take a DIY approach to fixing their water damage problems.  This is not recommended due to the nature of water and its ability to be absorbed into the porous building materials of your home.  It can be hard to assess the full extent of water damage inside your home yourself.  It is best to hire a professional to handle your water damage restoration needs because they have the experience and training as well as the right equipment to properly and thoroughly remove hidden water and moisture.

The following are the top reasons to hire a water damage professional instead of attempting DIY water damage restoration:

Location of Hidden Water Damage & the Source of the Damage

The trickiest part about water damage is trying to determine the full extent of the damage.  Water easily gets absorbed into building materials such as insulation, wood, and drywall and if it is not fully removed from these materials, the damage will only get worse and eventually cause mold and mildew to grow. Experienced water damage restoration professionals know how to look for hidden water damage as well as the source of the excess water or moisture to prevent further damage.  Much of the hidden water damage can be very difficult to find without enough experience.

Professional Grade Equipment

One major advantage of hiring a water damage restoration professional is that they use state-of-the-art equipment to ensure that excess water and moisture has been removed.  This advanced drying equipment consists of shop vacs, air movers, and powerful dehumidifiers.  Air movers help the drying process by inciting evaporation and they can also bring the humidity level of your home to an acceptable level.  Powerful dehumidifiers are used to remove water completely from the air, structural elements, and furnishings in your home.

Quick Response and Restoration

A speedy response is important to minimize damage.  This is why it is standard in the industry for water restoration professionals to respond to your house within 2 to 4 hours after first contact.  If immediate action is not taken the risk of water spreading and damaging your home and furniture greatly increases.  Additionally, if water is left to sit for multiple days the risk of mold growth greatly increases. Water damage restoration specialists know this, which is why they arrive as a team to allow them to tackle multiple problems areas at once.  This helps to speed up the water damage restoration process as well as reduce the time needed for drying.

Mold Remediation

One of the worst possible side effects to come out of water damage is the growth of mold and mildew.  Mold grows in an area full of moisture, which is why it commonly follows water damage in houses.  What makes mold hard to deal with is that it doesn’t just grow on the surface of the affected area, it penetrates through the surface and grows within and underneath the affected area.  This is why many DIY mold cleanup jobs are not done successfully and result in the mold growing back again.  With prolonged exposure to mold many different health affects can occur which depend on the type of mold as well as the individual.

Mold remediation is best handled by a mold remediation specialist due the many dangers it presents to one's health.  They are trained to quarantine off the affected area(s) to prevent mold spores from spreading during the cleaning process.  Technicians also handle potent cleaning products with many chemicals that help to remove the mold, which can be hazardous if mishandled.

Reduction of Health Effects

Depending on the cause of your water damage different health effects could arise.  Standing water can spread sewage, bacteria, and other microorganisms that can cause health effects. Water damage technicians are aware of this and trained to properly clean up these types of messes.  They will remove any hazardous materials and use the proper chemicals in their cleanup to prevent health effects from occurring.

Reduction of Overall Costs and Losses

Although it might seem more cost effective to resort to Google to help you in doing a DIY cleanup, this can cost you money in the long run.  Hiring a water damage restoration professional will assure the job is done properly the first time around.  This can prevent water from taking occupancy inside porous materials where it can stay and begin to grow mold.  This is a slow process that often goes unnoticed until the mold has begun to take over parts of your home.  If you wait until you have this type of problem the costs you’ll incur are a lot more expensive than if you had called a water damage specialist to start with.  Additionally, when a water damage specialist cleans up mold, they quarantine the affected area so that they don’t spread microscopic mold spores into the rest of the house during the cleaning process. 

Help with Insurance Claims

If you have a problem with water damage the first thing you should do is call your insurance agent.  They can help you file an insurance claim for any damages as well as recommend you to a trusted water damage repair specialist whom they regularly work with.

The major benefits to hiring a water damage specialist is you’ll save yourself time, money, and trouble.  So as soon as you identify any water damage inside your home call a local, trusted water damage restoration service provider like SERVPRO of NE Albuquerque. We will arrive quickly to the scene to help limit the spread of the damage and immediately begin the restoration process.