What is Water Damage Restoration?

Water damage restoration is an important service for all Lakeland homeowners to utilize when there has been water damage to their homes. Water damage restoration is when an emergency water clean-up needs to happen due to a leak, broken appliances, or other causes of water getting into your home. Hopefully, you never have to worry about getting water damage restoration services. But it’s important to know what to do if you do need them because acting fast can mean the difference between easy clean-up and irreversible damage.

Urgent Restoration provides Lakeland and central Florida with the best emergency water clean-up services. You can trust that we’ll get the job done right the first time and successfully. We have many years of experience in restoration under our belt and we’re on standby and ready to help you when you need it.

Common Causes of Water Damage

There are a few common causes of water damage around your home. Knowing these causes can help you prevent them from happening to you, or at least knowing what to look for. Leaving water damage untreated for too long can lead to more issues and can make the damage irreparable.

• Burst pipe: This can happen in cold weather or with worn pipes.
• Natural disaster: In Florida weather, it’s common to have roof leaks or other water damage due to heavy rain and or/wind storms.
• Broken appliances: A broken appliance can cause water damage that needs remediation services.
• Blocked drains: If you have blocked drains, your water can back up and cause extensive damage to your home. Keep your drains unclogged and clear of any blockages.
• Leaks: Any type of leak can cause water damage. This could be a leak from your water heater, your A/C unit, other appliances, or damage to the roof or ceiling. Use Urgent Restoration’s Leak Detection services to take care of any leaks in your home.

You also want to be sure to keep an eye on your basement for any flooding.

Oftentimes flooding can start in the basement. It’s also important to check the attic, especially after a heavy storm.

Signs of Water Damage in Your Home

Water damage isn’t always obvious, so it’s important to know the signs so you can keep it from getting worse. The two most common signs of water damage are higher water bills and a change in your water pressure or temperature.

High Water Bill

High utility bills are a common first sign that a water leak may exist and you need to call a leak detection specialist. Urgent Restoration has Leak Detection services that can find a leak that you may not be able to find on your own. If you notice that your water bill has begun to increase over time, call Urgent Restoration and we can determine whether or not your home has a leak.

Make sure to act quickly. After your second increased water bill, call restoration services as soon as possible to schedule an assessment.

Loss of Pressure or Running out of Hot Water

These are signs of underground water leaks or a water heater that is ready to go out. Standing water inside or in the yard can also be a sign of a water leak. If you have noticed one or more of these signs, itʼs important to act now.

IMPORTANT: If you suspect a leak, turn off anything that may be using (or could use) running water in your home/business, then locate the water meter outside. It is normally a small triangle flow meter that spins when water is flowing. If your meter is “spinning”, then this is an indication of a water leak, and more than likely this can mean a slab leak or an underground water leak. Next, look for water around your home, inside and out. Listen for the sound of running water. A hissing sound can indicate a water supply line break. A flowing or rolling sound can indicate a broken waste line.

Water Rings or Sagging / Soft Areas

If you notice water rings on your walls or ceilings or, worse, sagging spots on your ceiling, this is a sign that there is water damage present in your home. Water rings can indicate a leak that has gone undetected. If you notice soft bubbles of water in your wall or ceiling, don’t pop or drain them. This can cause further damage.

Mildew or Mold Smell

You should call for water restoration immediately after smelling mold or mildew. Mold can spread very quickly if it’s not treated right away. If you see black mold, it is especially important to act fast.

Water Restoration Costs

There are many factors that can affect the cost of water restoration services. If you need emergency services, that can increase the overall cost. After an initial assessment, your water clean-up company can offer you an estimate. But it’s important to note that the cost can change if unexpected issues arise during restoration.

These are some common factors that can affect the cost of restoration:

• Mold: if mold is present, it means that there are additional services that have to be done which costs more money.
• Size of the affected area: the bigger the area that is affected by water damage, the more it will cost you.

• Time: depending on how much time has passed, this can affect how much it will cost you for restoration services.
• Water type and presence: there are different types of water (soft and hard) and this can affect the total cost of your services. If there is a lot of standing water still present at the time of the assessment, this can cost more as well.

What is the Water Damage Restoration Process?

In order to clean up water damage, restoration services need to happen as soon as possible. There are certain steps that need to be taken during cleanup and restoration. While some processes may differ for each water damage restoration company, in general, the process is basically the same. Removing the water is the most important task, which is started right away after an assessment is complete.

Keep reading to learn more about the process.

STEP 1: Initial Contact

The process can start as soon as you contact a water damage contractor. The first thing they will want to know is whether you need residential water damage restoration or commercial water damage restoration based on your situation. They will also want to know how the damage occurred; is this a flood restoration clean up or is the source of the damage from something else?

Prior to your contractor or restoration company’s arrival, they should try to guide you through turning off your water supply. This is important because it will prevent further water from entering your home and causing more damage. Quick action here can be the difference between losing valuables or not.

STEP 2: Inspection and Assessment

Next, your water damage restoration company will do a free on-site inspection and assessment to locate the source of the problem. Then they will want to go over the water damage restoration services that you will need. For example, if the water damage has caused a mold problem, you will most likely need some mold removal services.

STEP 3: Water Removal and Extraction

After the inspection and assessment is complete, they will dispatch certified technicians to assist in eliminating the source of the water. Stopping the source of the water must happen before we can begin restoration services. They will need to remove all the standing water before they can do anything else in the process.

STEP 4: Drying and Dehumidification

Once the standing water has been removed, they will start to dry the affected area(s). This step ensures that any remaining moisture in the area is removed. At Urgent Restoration, we only use the best equipment and the highest industry standards to thoroughly and quickly dry your home. We set up air movers, dehumidifiers, and air scrubbers to professionally dry your home or business.

STEP 5: Cleaning and Sanitizing

This is the stage where mold removal and prevention is done. A dedicated certified technician will monitor equipment and take all necessary readings to determine when the affected areas are dry. This is important to prevent mold growth.

Call to Get Help from Urgent Restoration of Lakeland Now! We Are Here to Help As Soon As Possible.

So why should you choose Urgent Restoration for your water removal company? We are a team of highly trained and skilled professionals who can provide emergency services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We offer our emergency restoration services any time you need us.

We know how stressful a situation like this can be. We work as efficiently as possible to ensure that no additional stress is caused during water clean-up. Plus, for added peace of mind, Urgent Restoration assists in filing documentation directly with your insurance company. This is another way we help remove the stress of water damage repair. We fully document the entire process to ensure your insurance claim is handled correctly and you have proper documentation.

We follow all safety protocols and use industry standards to complete our jobs. When you work with us, you can rest assured that the job will be exceptionally well done. Call Urgent Restoration, LLC of Lakeland to get help ASAP.