Rapid RR

Imagine coming home to a flooded basement and a leaking living room, with most of your favorite possessions floating out of the front door. Fumbling to remember any water damage repair guys you may have known, your eyes will, at the same time, be popping out of its socket trying to figure out if your home had been hit by a deluge while you were away.

In the United States alone, damage accounts for over 25 percent of all home insurance claims, with more than 37 percent homeowners admitting to loss of property due to extensive water damage. All sources of this damage leave tell-tale signs around the place. The trick lies in being able to detect these signs and initiating water damage repair before it is too late.

Water stains on the ceilings or a wet spot under the kitchen sink could develop into something bigger, such as a weakened roof or a rotten floor board. So learn to recognize the first sign of damage which is almost always evident for everyone to notice but rarely catches the attention of homeowners until all hell has been broken loose in the living room. The most obvious signs of moisture build-up that can eventually escalate to damage are drippy faucets or shower heads, water stains on the roof or walls, damp surface areas, unusual humidity or coolness in a particular room and a distinct odor of mildew. If your home or a particular room in the house begins to smell of molds, it is high time you hire a Water Damage Repair Company to arrest the initial stages of destruction.

Some believe the expertise of a Damage Restoration Company is required only during floods or similar natural disasters. Even trivial water leaks that could lead to a mammoth destruction should be brought to the attention of restoration companies who will not only help you identify the source of the leak but also restore your property to its pre-incident state. There are plenty of damage restoration companies in the U.S. and the services they offer are based on reliable restoration principles coupled with research, practical experience and extensive consultation gathered from numerous sources. Most of these companies provide water damage repair services, mold remediation service, flood damage cleanup, interior restoration as well as fire and smoke cleanup for both residential and commercial properties.

When it comes to water damage, your energy is best spent on prevention. Many hardware stores and home centers sell moisture alarms you can put under sinks and appliances. But it’s also good to know how to handle an emergency. In most cases, these immediate actions can save you significantly:

1. Call a professional. Google or Bing search “emergency restoration” and call a professional remediation company. Tell them your situation, ask if they’re certified, bonded and insured; and see how soon they can be there. Then immediately call your insurance agent and get authorization. In most cases, your agent will instruct you to call the mitigation company back and give them the ok. If you call your insurance agent first, you may get an adjuster with their best interest in mind instead of yours.

2. Move valuables to dry land. Remove everything you can from a wet floor (dyes and stains on furniture may bleed onto the wood or carpeted floors); if you can’t move a piece of furniture, put aluminum foil or a plastic bag under the legs.

3. Lift other items above the water line. Get draperies up off the floor by putting them on clothes hangers and hooking the hanger onto the drapery rod. Remove low-lying accessories from walls and shelving units as moisture can leach up quickly.

4. Pay attention to everything water has touched. Look for water in the carpet or touching a wall. It may have traveled unseen under the carpet, possibly reaching cabinets, walls, insulation, other rooms and the subfloor. This is where mold grows undetected