Flooding in homes or commercial establishments need to be dealt with immediately. As more time is spent on waiting, the extent of the damage that results from it increases. An owner of a residential or business establishment affected by flooding can spend as much as $26,000 (as per NSIP flood damage simulator calculation) on cleaning and restoration services. Final billing amounts will vary by company, city, and state.
Since a lot of money is expected to be spent on these services, potential clients of cleaning and restoration companies should be aware of the inclusions of what they will pay for. While water damage restoration service providers have different approaches when it comes to working on projects, many similarities are apparent.
This leads us to get an idea of what typical cleaning and restoration jobs cover in terms of work process. These include the following:
⢠Step 1: Visual Inspection
The cleaning company will send over its team of technicians and inspect the area thoroughly. It is expected that at this point, the homeowner have already documented the damage and have made proper consultations with his insurance provider. Documents provided by the client will make this step faster.
If no documents are provided, the inspection team will list the damages they will notice on the site. These will be documented and used as a reference in preparing initial estimates and project agreements. Some companies get in touch with the insurance provider while the inspection team is completing their task. At the end of this step, papers regarding the project are signed and the company is given the go signal to start with step2.
⢠Step 2: Extraction of Water
This step involves the complete containment and removal of flood water from the area. Of course, all equipment and pieces of furniture will be evacuated first. The equipment which will be used depends upon the category of liquid present. For category III liquids, truck mounted extractors are mandatory. When all liquids have been removed, the cleaning process takes place. Anti-microbial agents are applied to the area and washed off.
⢠Step 3: Drying Phase
Even when all liquids have been removed from the area, moisture and excess humidity will still remain there. This is where the cleaning crew will run dehumidifying and drying equipment. Air is circulated throughout the room or entire house to ensure that all unnecessary moisture is eliminated. The process may take as much as 4 days to complete.
⢠Step 4: Re-inspection
The inspection teams will reassess the condition of the site. Moisture levels will be checked in and out of the walls and floors. Furniture and appliances which were affected by the flood will be inspected for possible repair or replacement.
⢠Step 5: Restoration and reconstruction
Damaged areas will be subjected to restoration and reconstruction. Replacement of drywall, floor boards, and paint will be done. All other jobs that will make the area as functional as it was before the flooding would be done as well. However, there are extra jobs that are often not covered by the responsibilities of technicians. Clients would have to indicate their desire to have such jobs done and pay for it separately. A very good example is carpet cleaning or replacement.
Once all the steps of cleanup and restoration have been completed, cleaning companies usually issue certifications. This can be used by homeowners when claiming insurance or when getting the value of their property assessed prior to sale. If You need more information on property damage restoration, Denver Restoration Masters have a website to visit just click here