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Learn how to perform water damage restoration with this guide
Published 14 Apr 2023
Water damage restoration is the process of returning the property’s condition to its original state before water intrusion. The process consists of inspection, extraction, dehumidification, sanitation, and reconstruction (if necessary). While water damage restoration usually does not require certification, it should ideally be performed by a water damage restoration specialist who is equipped with the right tools and knowledge to do so.
Knowing what caused the problem you’re supposed to fix is just the first step to solving it. For water damage restoration specialists, being familiar with the major causes of water damage can help them easily locate the source when inspecting a property.
The major causes of water damage include the following:
Aside from knowing where to look, water damage restoration specialists should also know what to look for. Water damage can still be present in areas that don’t contain or seemingly haven’t been affected by any of the major causes listed above. Therefore, restoration specialists should be able to spot the signs of water damage right away.
The signs of water damage include the following:
One of the reasons why water damage restoration is important is that structural damage can also be a result of water damage—not just a cause. Water damage and structural damage are closely connected and the presence of one often indicates the presence of the other. Walls, ceilings, and even floors can collapse due to water damage.
Ignoring water damage or not responding to it quickly enough can also pose long-term health risks from mold, bacteria, and pests. Minimizing the importance of water damage restoration not only diminishes the skill, knowledge, and experience required to do such work, but also significantly endangers the lives of building occupants.
Specialists perform water damage restoration in 5 steps:
A water damage inspection or water damage assessment is conducted by the specialist to identify the water source, the water contamination category, and the water damage class.
As discussed in a previous section, the water source is heavily related to the cause of water damage. However, in some cases, it may still be difficult to identify the water source, even while knowing the cause of water damage (e.g., flood water may seep into the property through multiple entry points). After identifying and stopping the flow of the water source, the specialist will identify the water contamination category:
Name
White Water
Gray Water
Black Water
Category
1
2
3
Contamination Level
Little to None
Has Contaminants
Hazardous
Water Sources / Causes of Water Damage
Bathtubs, Sinks, Pipes, Water Heaters
Dishwashers and Washing Machines
Sewage, Toilets, Flooding
Identifying the water contamination category will help the specialist decide on the scope and type of decontamination needed later on. The third part of the inspection is the identification of the water damage class:
Class 1
Class 2
Class 3
Class 4
Wet Porous Materials Percentage of Surface Area
Less than 5%
5% to 40%
More than 40%
Low Evaporation Materials Moisture Absorption
Minimal
Significant
Wet porous materials include carpet, gypsum board, fiber-fill insulation, Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) and textiles. Low evaporation materials include plaster, wood, concrete, and masonry. Identifying the water damage class is important because it indicates the extent of drying and dehumidification needed later on.
Eliminate manual tasks and streamline your operations.
Especially crucial when a property has a flooded basement, removing the standing water (also known as stagnant water) is done through extraction. Extractors include industrial vacuums and submersible pumps. After all standing water is removed, surface water can be extracted through portable wet/dry vacuums. The specialist may also use a moisture meter or infrared thermal camera to uncover hidden pockets of saturation behind walls or underneath floorboards. Residual surface water may also still be present even after vacuuming.
Similar to water extraction, the specialist will also use equipment such as heavy-duty fans (including air movers) and commercial-grade dehumidifiers to dry and dehumidify affected areas. Aside from using these tools, the specialist may also open windows and doors to increase air circulation. However, drying and dehumidification will generally take longer than water removal, especially if water damage is Class 3 or 4 and requires removing parts of walls and/or floors.
Before mold cleanup, the specialist needs to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as an N-95 mask, gloves, googles, rubber boots, and disposable clothing or protective overalls. Similar to both extraction and dehumidification, the specialist will also use equipment such as a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) vacuum, an air scrubber, and other types of negative air machines during sanitation. If water damage is Category 3, all surfaces will need to be cleaned with an antimicrobial solution.
In the final part of water damage restoration, the specialist will remove unsalvageable parts (e.g., drywall below the flood line, low to medium density trim boards, carpet padding). Carpets can be deep cleaned, though they will more than likely need to be replaced. In some cases, wooden trim boards may be reused and drywall can be repaired, if the water damage isn’t Class 4 or Category 3. However, reconstruction may also be necessary, especially if the cause of the water damage is a natural disaster.
SafetyCulture is a convenient inspection tool that water damage restoration specialists can use to document what’s happening on-site. Take and attach photos of water damage inspections and submit detailed reports to clients and insurance providers. SafetyCulture eliminates the entire hassle of printing out photos, stapling them to paper reports, typing up reports after an inspection, and sending completed reports through fax.
With SafetyCulture, reports are automatically generated after completing a water damage inspection and can be sent via email or shareable web link. Perform water damage restoration quickly and efficiently using the SafetyCulture app on your mobile device, even while offline. Equip your team of specialists with the right tool to do the job well. Get started with SafetyCulture for free.
Specialists can use this water damage restoration checklist to do the following:
Erick Brent Francisco
Erick Brent Francisco is a content writer and researcher for SafetyCulture since 2018. As a content specialist, he is interested in learning and sharing how technology can improve work processes and workplace safety. His experience in logistics, banking and financial services, and retail helps enrich the quality of information in his articles.
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