Water Damage Restoration: A Complete Discussion

It is the process of repairing a home or property to its pre-loss condition. Property damage can be due to an overflow, flood, or any other water damage event. The water damage restoration process involves several key procedures such as loss assessment, categorization based on water contamination levels, decontamination and drying of the structure, process monitoring, and process completion.

There are two major certification bodies, namely the IICRC (Institute for Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) and the RIA (Restoration Industry Association) that recommend standards for water damage restoration. The S500 water damage restoration guide is the reference tool used by companies that specialize in emergency water damage restoration.

Loss evaluation and categorization

Loss assessment is the first and most important step in water damage restoration. The evaluation must be correct so that an adequate answer can be given. When restoring water damage, technicians and insurance companies must work together to understand what is damaged and how to proceed to restore the damage.

Identifying the source of the damage, documenting the damage, and accurate estimates are mandatory for proper water damage restoration. The categorization is based on the contamination levels of the water source. Categories are listed below

Category 1: This is water from clean sources such as pipes, sinks, and toilets without feces or urine.

Category 2: This is water that has some contaminants like water from a dishwasher, washing machine, or toilet with urine.

Category 3: is water that is highly unhealthy and can cause illness or death if ingested. Sewer water, toilet water with feces, stagnant water with microbial growth, and floodwater are some examples.

Decontamination and drying

Once the assessment is complete, the on-site decontamination and drying process begins. According to the extent of the damage, the damage caused by water can be classified into 4 types.

Class 1 damage: when the loss is limited to a small area and the materials have absorbed less water. This results in a slow evaporation rate.

Class 2 damage: when the damage affects the entire room and the area of ​​the carpet.

Class 3 damage: when the entire area is saturated with water and

Class 4 damage: When there are many pockets of deep saturation. Decontamination and drying are a key stage in restoring water damage and equipment such as blowers, dehumidifiers, scrubbers, and subfloor drying equipment should be used. Decontamination should be done if contamination has been detected in the area. Decontamination can be done in the entire area or in specific bags where contamination has been detected.

Follow-up and completion

Monitoring the damage restoration process is critical to achieving the desired results. You have to be proactive during the follow-up process. Verifying if the drying equipment is configured correctly, evaluating whether the personnel involved are qualified for the job, and verifying that the equipment is in good condition is part of the monitoring process.

Necessary action should be taken if something wrong is detected during the monitoring process. The entire water damage restoration process would be classified as complete only once the humidity, temperature, and moisture content meet industry standards. After the water damage restoration process is complete, the drying equipment can be removed by flood restorers.