Floods may create up to $32 billion in damage to homes annually by 2051.
There are various ways that water can cause damage to homes. Heavy rainfall can flood basements, or plumbing issues can cause leaks, leading to various other problems. Water damage mitigation can reduce the damage caused by excess water, helping to keep your home in a good state.
So what is water damage mitigation? Keep reading to find out.
What Is Water Damage Mitigation?
A flooded basement is a typical example of water damage. Water damage mitigation is a process that works to deal with such damage. It involves removing the water, reducing moisture, and drying the area.
There are three primary categories of water mitigation based on the type of water:
- Clean water – freshwater from a water supply such as a toilet or washing machine
- Gray water – unclean water before it reaches the sewage, such as from a shower or roof leak
- Blackwater – unclean water that has come in contact with sewage such as toilet backup of water flowing from outside
Water mitigation is generally more expensive with dirtier water as it presents more health risks.
Causes of Water Damage
There are several ways that water damage can occur. Some of the most common reasons include:
- Flooded basement
- Roof damage
- Natural disasters
- Frozen pipes
- Faulty toilet line
- Dishwasher blockage
- Gutter/downspout blockage
Many of these can occur anytime, and if left unchecked, the damage can get far worse.
Prevent/Reduce Water Damage
Sometimes things will be out of your control, and you won’t be able to completely prevent water damage from occurring. You can, however, take certain steps to help make water damage less likely and less severe when it does happen.
Some items that you can invest in are:
- Dehumidifiers
- Sand or water bags
- Sump pump
- Water meter key
If you know a natural disaster is on the way, you may want to get some of these to help prepare.
Water Mitigation vs. Water Restoration
People often confuse the two, but these are separate processes. Water mitigation involves inspecting the situation, extracting the water, and drying/clearing the area.
Water damage restoration follows this, and it relates to repairing a home after the water has been mitigated. This means removing any damaged material, making repairs, and restoring the area.
The Water Mitigation Process
There are several steps to the water damage mitigation process:
- Find the water source
- Remove the water
- Have a professional technician assess the damage to the site
- Contact your insurance company about water damage mitigation
- Set the home up for water damage mitigation
- Set up the necessary equipment
- Dry out the area
- Antimicrobial spray to kill any harmful microbes (usually optional)
- Compare the atmosphere 3 days later
- Customer walkthrough to show what has been done
- Organize water damage restoration
This is a general outline of the process, but it can vary depending on the home and the damage that has occurred.
Water Damage Mitigation
It’s almost impossible to completely prevent water damage, but with water damage mitigation you can reduce the impact it has on your home. Cal Prestige Restoration is a professional water mitigation company that offers 24/7 emergency services, so you can get help whenever you need it.
To find out more about our services, click here to contact us today.
