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5 Ways a Water Damage Restoration Company Can Save Your Belongings

Ryker Bingham |  Jun 24, 2019

If you are dealing with water damage in your Idaho home, you might be thinking about hiring a water damage restoration company. You might be wondering if their services are truly worth the cost, though, or you could just be wondering how the technicians who work for these companies do their jobs. A water damage restoration company uses many different techniques and tools to help people salvage their belongings, including in the ways outlined here.

Saving Your Carpet

Carpet Water Damage Restoration

One of the first things to be damaged in your home in a flooding situation is your flooring. If your carpet has been saturated, then you might assume that it will have to be removed because of stains, mold and mildew growth or a strong, musty odor. This is sometimes the case, but a water damage restoration company might be able to help you.

The longer that you wait to address the situation, the more of a chance there is that your carpet will have to be replaced. Your padding and subflooring could be seriously damaged, too, but a water damage restorationcompany may be able to help.

The first step to potentially salvaging your carpet is removing as much water as possible. Water damage restoration professionals use heavy-duty, powerful extraction machines that draw out the water. This works similarly to how a carpet cleaner works, but standard residential carpet cleaners typically are not as powerful.

Next, the carpet will be cleaned and sanitized. This will help get rid of any mold spores, debris or anything else that might be lingering after the water is removed.

Unfortunately, if the padding has been exposed to contaminated water, it’s going to have to be replaced. A professional can carefully pull back the carpet, remove the padding and replace it. Then, the carpet can be put back in place on top of your new padding.

Lastly, be aware that your subflooring could be damaged by floodwater. When padding is removed, a professional can check your subflooring. If it’s made of a material like OSB or particleboard, it may have to be replaced; after all, these materials can swell up quickly if they are exposed to moisture. Plywood subflooring can often be saved with proper dehumidification and air movement techniques. Since replacing the subflooring in your home can be a very expensive project, hiring a water damage restoration company to potentially save your subflooring is typically worth the cost.

Restoring Your Upholstered Furniture

Furniture Water Damage Restoration

Upholstered furniture, like your sofa, can take serious damage from floodwater. If it is allowed to simply dry on its own, the upholstery can be left dirty and stained.

Typically, furniture that has been saturated will have to be completely taken apart. Springs and other components might be salvageable, but the padding or stuffing may have to be replaced. In some cases, upholstery can be cleaned and sanitized. If this is not possible, then you may have to have your furniture reupholstered. Wooden components, such as wooden legs on a sofa, may become cloudy. It may be cleaned and restored; in some cases, damaged wooden components can be painted or stained as a part of the restoration process.

Of course, you will want to compare the pricing of having your furniture reupholstered versus replacing it. With cheaper furniture, you may find that you are better off replacing it completely. For higher-end furniture or furniture that has sentimental value, though, having it restored is often well worth the cost.

Protecting Your Home’s Structure

Home Structure Water Damage Restoration

You might be thinking about damage to your furnishings and home decor when dealing with flooding in your Idaho home, but there could be more serious things for you to worry about. Depending on the extent of the water damage and how that damage is addressed, there could be serious structural damage to your home.

For example, sheetrock can become destroyed if exposed to water, particularly over a longer period of time. If a plumbing leak on a higher floor of your home is the cause of your water damage, then the ceiling of the floor below can be destroyed.

Removing water with water extraction tools, using dehumidifiers and fans to help remove any remaining moisture and carefully cleaning and sanitizing your walls, ceilings and other components of your home are all methods that are used to help maintain the integrity of your home’s structure.

Saving Your Wooden Furniture

Wood Furniture Water Damage Restoration

Wooden furniture might not be damaged as quickly or significantly as upholstered furniture after a household flood. However, it can become damaged when exposed to floodwater, too.

A water damage restorationcrew will allow your furniture to dry out first, using fans and dehumidifiers to help the process happen more quickly. Then, the furniture will be cleaned thoroughly and sanitized. Some touch-up work may have to be done to restore your wooden furniture back to its original condition, or it may need to be painted or stained so that it will look great again.

Rescuing Your Photographs

Photograph Water Damage Restoration

Even though it might come with a very high cost, most material belongings can be replaced if they cannot be salvaged after they have been exposed to water damage. However, there is one thing that you might not be able to replace at all: your family photograph collection.

If your photographs were exposed to water, then you might be worried that they will have to be thrown away. This is not necessarily the case, though, so make sure that you keep your pictures and talk to a professional.

For one thing, if they are separated before they stick together and if they can be dried quickly enough, they might not be seriously damaged. This is just one of many reasons why it’s important to work with a water damage restoration company right away. Even if they appear to be damaged, though, they might be salvageable. Once they are dried, they can often be cleaned and saved. If you still have your negatives, they could potentially be saved and then developed, too.

Water damage restoration companies provide a great service for families who are dealing with household water damage. In fact, the right company can help you salvage your belongings in even more ways than listed above. If you and your family are dealing with water damage, contact us at Standard Restoration to find out how we can help.

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