There are two words homeowners rarely ever want to hear: water damage. Unfortunately flooding, bursted pipes, and mold damage from leaky plumbing is a common reality of life. Sometimes, it can even be too common. Did you know that, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), flooding is the most common natural disaster that affects homeowners? For this reason, water damage is also one of the most frequent insurance claims filed each year. Although it can seem like a dead end when you are standing ankle-deep in water, just know that there are professionals in your area who are standing by with years of experience to transform your home back into a beautiful and healthy living space.
Here at PoweredByPros, we have many years of water damage knowledge that has helped thousands of American homeowners repair and restore their home. We only employ veteran water damage and remediation experts. Our crews have seen it all. Whether its water extraction due to sudden heavy rains or just a general inspection to make sure that discoloration on your ceiling isn’t mold, the expert professionals within our network guarantee budget-friendly, comprehensive, and high-quality service that will solve any type of water damage issue in a timely manner.
From storm floods to leaky faucets, water damage is a serious problem that can result in significant health impacts and safety issues. If you have recently experienced water damage, there are steps you can take to minimize the damage and ensure the protection of valuables. Follow these steps and suggestions below to reduce the chance of mold accumulation and structural integrity issues.
Immediately once you discover water damage, you need to halt the flow of water. Be sure the first thing you do is stop the flow of water. For this, you will need to shut down the main water line of your home. If you have experienced flooding due to a heavy storm or other natural event, then the problem may be too large to take on yourself. At this point, we recommend calling your emergency service hotline and getting in contact with a water damage pro immediately.
If your home is flooded, cut off the electricity and gas from the main source. There are obvious reasons why you do not want an electric current running through standing water. This isn’t really necessary for small leaks or puddles, but for large floods turn them off to be safe. If you have to stand in water to disconect the power, then contact a cetified electrician.
Make sure to look around your entire home and write down which areas of your home have been impacted, do this for your interior and exterior. Take an ample amount of pictures to give to your water damage expert and insurance agency if the damage is so bad that it requires a claim. Taking pictures and notes will supply those who assist you to expidite the repair process.
Save your valuables. If the amount of flooding does not impede your safety, rescue your prized possessions. Act quickly and put these items in a safe, dry place. The longer you let water stand, the more damage will occur.
When the active flooding has subsided, then it is time to start the repair process. Purchase a pump, grab boots, put on gloves, water-resistant clothing, and wear a mask. Make sure pets and children are in a safe area, flooded water often is contaminated with harmful germs. Put your pump at the lowest point in the room. If dealing with a small amount of flooding, you may be able to use a wet-dry shop vacuum to remove the water.
Once the water has dissipated, begin to shovel out excess mud and debris out of your home. Check for dirt in air ducts too. This debris is especially dirty and filled with toxins, so it is imperative to remove it quickly and dispose of it well. Watch out for nails and sharp objects that could be covered up by mud.
Dry and dehumidify. You need to let everything in your household dry. Do not power up your appliances until you have given them an ample amount of time to dry. Consider purchasing a dehumidifier to reduce moisture in affected rooms.
The appropriate steps taken to solve minor or major water damages mainly depends on the amount of water and the type of water you are dealing with. Standing water creates many issues. The most immediate being structural damage to your home. However, even if there is not enough flooding to knock down walls, the water that usually results from flooding is dirty and filled with the right amount of germs and dirt to create serious mold and dust-mite issues. This means that if you have any type of allergy, you’ll be at high risk to develop more serious issues. The same goes if you suffer from asthma—mold can only make your symptoms worse. You need to get water damage under control as soon as possible, as it only takes about 48 hours for mold to begin rapidly growing. Mold, if left untreated, can also cause respiratory infections and fungal infections. For these reasons, it is imperative to hire a water damage professional quickly to ensure that you and your family stay healthy.
Clean water floods can result from malfunctioning appliances, toilet holding tanks, and melting snow and rainwater. Clean water residential floods are generally safe for you to clean up yourself, as the water poses no immediate risk to your health. But remember, time is of the essence! Standing water can quickly develop into category II, as there will most likely be dirt and debris in the water which creates perfect conditions for bacterial growth.
Sometimes called sullage, grey-water refers to wastewater that is not contaminated with fecal matter. This water contains fewer pathogens than black water, but more than clean water. Grey water can be recycled water or water that is not filtered to the same degree as drinking water (aka potable water). Grey-water floods can be caused by a weather event, an overflowing plumbing fixture or even a broken pipe. At this point, strongly consider hiring a pro and make sure to act quickly as category II water will develop into black water.
Black-water refers to wastewater contaminated with human waste, food waste, pathogens, toxins, and excessive amounts of dirt or debris. This is essentially sewage-grade water that results from major flooding events caused by hurricane-strength events. Black-water is the most dangerous type and can only be properly resolved by hiring a professional water damage specialist.
You should only try and solve your water and flooding issues if it is confined to a small, isolated area. Often times, homeowners try to take on large-scale, difficult restoration projects on their own. This can result in frustration, extended time commitments, improper repairs, promote mold growth, and potentially cause further damage to your home. It makes sense to handle small puddles and leaks on your own, but trying to solve flooded rooms and extensive water damage issues are usually problems that are beyond typical homeowner expertise. That’s why we suggest hiring an experienced professional. Water damage repair contractors and restoration specialists know what to do beyond extracting standing water. They can tell you what can be fixed and what needs replacement. They will advise if your flooring needs to be swapped out and which are the best new options for you to choose from. In addition, these pros know when/where mold is likely to develop and how to stop fungi growth in its tracks. The water damage contractors that we employ can handle a wide array of emergency services and remediation tasks that will make it look like nothing ever happened.
We handle all types and kinds of water damage reapir related services. No matter if you just want a general inspection for mold growth, looking to fix a leaky pipe, or need immediate emergency assistance to extract flood water—we are your one stop shop for water damage support. We can’t list every specific type, but below are some common water damage services we provide:
The specialists in our network are ready around the clock to help those affected by water damage. With a swift and quick response, when you contact us, you will be connected to a highly-qualified pro in your area who will be at your door and extracting water in no time.
No matter how big or small, water extraction is what we specialize in. All water damage events wil require removal and extraction of standing water to save your flooring and prevent mold growth. We use the best pumps available and sanitize every job site to ensure our customers are breathing and living in a healthy environment.
Dehumidification is neccessary to rid of mold-causing moisture in your home or business. We utilize high-volume dehumidifiers and direct airflow with fans to ensure no excess moisture is left behind that can detriorate your belongings.
If you have experienced a natural disaster, our water damage specialists can help alieve some of the stress. We board up your home to prevent further damage and, as a result, to keep your costs down. We take detailed assessments of every site we visit and work with you personally to ensure you understand the full extent of your situation, like letting you know if you need to replace your flooring or drywall.
Our experts will identify and properly rid of exisisting mold. To prevent further growth, the areas that aren’t properly ventilated will be addressed, as this can quickly lead to another mold problem. We’ll examine the areas around your doors, windows, and A/C to ensure that proper ventilation can take place.
We also support commercial and inustrial water damage remediation. The steps we take to clean up your business space isn’t much different than your home. But as a propety owner, dealing with damage to your business space can seem more challenging. We make sure to work quickly and efficiently to get your company back up and running in no time, ensuring minimal loss in revenue.
Powered By Pros is a leading digital home services marketplace. For over a decade, homeowners have trusted us with providing them professional, quality, and affordable service for their property. We match our valued customers with screened remodel professionals they can trust to successfully complete any type of project. Everyday, property owners call in asking for our help. Our service professionals cover everything from the larger metro areas to small towns throughout the United States. The service pros employed by us are skilled in over 300 home improvement related services, from house cleaning to major renovations to water damage and restoration. In addition, we also service commercial and industrial properties in a wide variety of tasks. In order for us to connect you with the best pro, our highly skilled customer support team will contact you to gather all your project information and pay special attention to your design and amenity requests.
To get started, give us a call or fill out our online short quote form and describe your water damage problem. This is the first step to receive a free, no-obligation estimate from one of our pros.
Shortly after we will give you a call to verify your request and go over a few important questions in regards to you water damage incident. This helps us best match you with the right water damage contractor. Your matched water damage pros are pre-screened, local, trusted, and provide the specific service you need quickly.
Once your request is processed, we will match your job description and send it to your personalized contractors. You’ll receive information for up to three, experienced local pros in order to ensure you can choose what fits your needs and budget.