After our electrician has made the property safe from any electrical hazards we will do a quick pre-inspection and take some photos & video that demonstrate the extent of the loss to the insurance company. Within a short period of time our IICRC qualified water restoration technicians will start remove free standing water from the property to prevent further loss to the property.
At this point we take some measures to help prevent bacterial and mould growth by applying an antimicrobial to water affected surfaces. We also take measures to help prevent water staining on carpet by using a browning preventative designed for these situations which will help alleviate water mark issues in the carpet come time to dry.
If there are carpets in the house and there is staining, this is also the best time to take care of these issues before the stain dries. As we also employ IICRC qualified carpet cleaners we are well equipped to take care of any staining that may arise. We also use what is known as a water claw to get where a carpet wands fail to get water, out of the underlay.
We understand that documentation is instrumental to a successful insurance claim.
Using only state of the art digital moisture detection equipment we document the extent and the amount that water has entered the structure as well as any contents. We will make a moisture map of the property outlining what rooms are affected, the materials used in the property and any floor coverings.
It is important at this point to get any unrestorable contents and structure from the house as it will only serve to slow down the drying process, which is the last thing anyone wants.
Any particularly sensitive valuables such as paintings and other moisture sensitive materials that could be affected by the restoration process are also removed from the property. Alternatively the valuables can placed in an unaffected area that they will not be exposed to the drying systems and thus they will not be damaged by the restoration process.
With this information in mind we can formulate a drying strategy tailored specifically for the situation to achieve the best results.
There are several different methods to drying a house which include open air drying, closed air drying (dehumidification) and neutral pressure heat circulation drying; sometimes even combinations of these systems will give the best result.
The most effective method is influenced by several factors. just some of the factors include the outside temperature & humidity, access to electricity, house security, whether the house is inhabited, the building materials and construction techniques.
Our extensive documentation, the IICRC S500 Water Restoration Standard and our building & restoration experience help us pick the best method for each and every job.
Whatever the method we implement for the situation our documentation process will continue throughout this step as we document the reduction of bound water and we will stop until until we hit the drying goal.
With the drying underway we start to restore the contents of the house.
We pride ourselves on being able to restore items restored to better than their pre-loss conditions. This includes the careful drying and thorough cleaning of anything that has been water affected.
In all but the most drastic cases most of the contents can be restored on site. in these these situations we take contents to where they will be best cared for and assessed; be that a guitar maker, a piano technician, a furniture craftsman, a specialist in fine woven rugs.. Over the years we have developed a large contact network of specialists in their field who dedicate their lives to restoring high value items to their pre-loss conditions.
Only once the structure is dry, the contents restored and the carpets are cleaned all back to their better than pre-loss condition are we ready for handover.
If you have any questions about our processes, or are in need of our services feel free to contact us using the button below.