When fire and water damage restoration is necessary, there are different means of approaching each cleanup and repair project, depending on the circumstances involved. For example, how much water was involved in the flooding incident? Was the water relatively clean or was it contaminated with sewage, chemicals, or other toxins? How long was the water allowed to sit unattended, permeating walls, carpet, wood cabinetry, and furniture? Were hazardous chemicals involved in the fire? How much smoke and soot permeated the premises? How much and what kind of toxic fumes and gases were produced by the blaze?
With fire and water damage restoration, there are other issues to consider as well. Smoke and fire damages need to be cleaned out and premises need to be ventilated to reduce odors. Floodwater, spills and water accidents need to be removed and dried as quickly as possible. When building materials are allowed to be continuously soaked in water for an extended period of time, they will have to be replaced rather than repaired or restored.
Mold and mildew usually stem from water damages that were neglected and not cleaned out and repaired. Given the proper conditions to thrive, mold propagates rather quickly. Mold is a significant health hazard in the home environment and is responsible for symptoms such as headaches, runny nose, asthma, dizziness, rashes, fatigue, respiratory problems, and others. Thus, water damage that is left unattended for over 48 hours is likely to develop mold as well as structural damage, requiring more involved repair work and driving up the cost of the fire and water damage restoration project.
If flooding is caused by dirty water, which is water contaminated by pathogens, sewage or chemical waste, the items it comes in contact with must be professionally cleaned and sanitized or tossed altogether. In fact, the rule of thumb is that if the item cannot be washed or disinfected, it needs to be trashed. Water, food and medicines that came in contact with dirty water must be discarded. If items are porous, such as fabrics, clothing, bedding, stuffed toys, particle board, laminated or pressed wood furniture and cabinetry, they should be discarded as well. If in doubt, consult a fire and water damage restoration professional, especially if items have sentimental or significant financial value. In fact, content restoration experts have more tools, techniques and methods at their disposal today than they ever had before, making salvaging and restoration of books, documents, artwork, electronics, furniture and other items a standard and routine process that restores loved and cherished items and saves millions of dollars annually for insurance companies.
When a fire and water damage restoration work is needed, calling a professionally certified restoration company for help is the safest and best action to take. These specialists are knowledgeable, trained and experienced in fire and water damage cleanup, repair and restoration efforts and have the equipment, tools and supplies necessary for the job. Moreover, they can detect and remove mold before it becomes a nightmare for property owners.
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