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WATER DAMAGE TIMELINE: WHY YOU MUST ACT ASAP
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
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ServiceMaster DSI is the nation's leading provider of residential and commercial disaster restoration services through the ServiceMaster Restore and ServiceMaster Recovery Management (SRM) brands. Through these brands, DSI services clients in all 50 states and its large loss team has provided commercial disaster restoration services in more than 20 countries around the world.
DISASTER RECOVERY
RESOURCE CENTER
When a water or flood loss occurs at you or your clients' property, often, the hardest part is just knowing where to begin and who to contact for help. But rest assured, as the national leader in water restoration and 40+ years in business, we have the experience to be your lifeline as you and/or your clients go through the cleanup process. We know that everyone's situation is unique and deserves the time, effort, and expertise to minimize disruption. This is why we have created this Flood & Water Damage Resource Center for you. This resource center explains what happens when a flood occurs at a property and gives all the necessary steps to safely return the property back to pre-loss condition.
WITHIN
MINUTES
1-24
HOURS
1 WEEK +
48 HOUR to
1 WEEK
> Paper, books, and photographs may become unsalvageable due to saturation.
> Finishes on furniture may begin to turn white.
> Stains/finish released from furniture could cause permanent staining on flooring and carpets.
> Drywall swells and begins to break down.
> Metal surfaces that are unprotected begin to tarnish.
> Laminated furniture begins to swell and/or split and finish can begin to crack.
> Mold, mildew and other contaminants have begun to grow and spread. This can cause health and respiratory concerns.
> Wood flooring begins to swell, warp, or buckle.
> Unprotected metal begins to rust, corrode, and pit.
> Windows and doors begin to swell up
> Major strucural risks
> Major health risks
> Foul Odors
STEPS TO TAKE AFTER A WATER/FLOOD LOSS
DIY VS PROFESSIONAL RESTORATION COMPANY
FLOOD CLEANUP CHECKLISTS & TIPS
There are 7 essential steps you should take after experiencing a water loss. First and foremost, everyone at the property needs to stay safe. After safety isn't an issue, the other steps include: report the damage to insurance if applicable, document all damage, protect the property's belongings, identify water damage source, stop the water from coming in and call a professional water damage company to mitigate. Download the free checklists below to begin the water mitigation process.
It is important to take care of a water damage problem immediately. The longer water damage goes unresolved, the more time the damage has to become worse. Below shows what happens to properties and items when water damage is left untreated for periods of time.
The price of water damage cleanup from professionals ranges depends on the amount of damage. To save money, Property Owners/Managers may consider performing water damage cleanup themselves. But before the shop-vacs are pulled out, the situation should always be assessed to make sure a professional company is not needed.
What Type of Water is it?
Water damage is usually categorized into three different groups. The first category is clean water and usually originates from a sanitary source. The second category is grey water and contains contamination. The third category is black water. Black water comes from sewers or flooding from a nearby body of water. It is grossly contaminated and can contain pathogenic, toxigenic, or other harmful agents. Category three type of water is not safe to clean up and a professional should be called. Technicians at professional restoration companies go through extensive training to safely clean black water from flooding.
How Much Water and Damage is there?
There are four classes of water, these classes are:
- Class-1 is the least amount of water. Water affects one part of the room with little or no wet carpet or cushion. This area would be less than 5% of the floor, wall, and ceiling square footage.
- Class-2 is a large amount and water affects an area from 5% to 40% of the floor, wall, and ceiling square footage.
- Class-3 is the greatest amount (over 40% of the floor, wall and ceiling square footage), and the entire area is saturated and water may have come from overhead.
- Class-4 results in specialty drying situations.
If flooding is significant or standing, call a professional company.
Does DIY Actually Save Money?
DIY Work is not as thorough as a professional. Water damage starts the second water touches a property and it not always visible to the human eye. While most people may be able to clean up all the standing water, the water can easily get behind baseboards and sink into walls. Any water damage that goes undiscovered will end up causing more damage and costing a lot more money. Water damage restoration companies have moisture meters to check and see if non-visible water is present. Restoration companies also have high-quality fans and dehumidifiers that can remove this non-visible water. This industrial-grade equipment is not sold in store.
While there may be a few reasons for DIY water damage cleanup, there are plenty more reasons to call an experienced water damage restoration professional like ServiceMaster DSI. ServiceMaster DSI has been in business for over 40 years and has technicians available 24/7/365 to properly mitigate a water loss. ServiceMaster DSI's water damage restoration process is:
- Inspect and Assess
- Remove Water
- Dehumidification
- Evaporation
- Monitoring
FLOOD & WATER
DISASTER RECOVERY
RESOURCE CENTER
WATER DAMAGE TIMELINE: WHY YOU MUST ACT ASAP
STEPS TO TAKE AFTER A WATER/FLOOD LOSS
DIY VS PROFESSIONAL RESTORATION COMPANY