Water Pipe Damage Restoration

You arrive home from work to find your home flooded from a broken pipe. Frigid temperatures have caused the pipe to freeze and burst, sending water spewing everywhere. Your home looks like a swimming pool, which even in warmer temperatures isn't very appealing. Your carpet and furniture are ruined, right? Maybe not. There are many ways to treat and reclaim water-damaged carpet, upholstery, hard flooring and other parts of your flooded home.

To preserve the appearance and life of your home, as well as the health and safety of your family, the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), a certification registry that develops and monitors educational programs and standards for the inspection, cleaning and restoration industry, recommends that you do not attempt to treat water damage yourself, but hire a certified water damage restoration firm. A certified water damage restoration professional will assess and repair damage caused by the water, as well as the ongoing, often hidden, damage to ceilings, walls and contents caused by moisture in the air.

Additionally, IICRC recommends taking the following initial steps to restore your home:

• Stay off water saturated carpet and pad to minimize the spread of the damage
• If safe to do so, turn off circuit breakers supplying electricity to wet area, and unplug and remove small electrical appliances located in the wet rooms
• Move furnishings out of wet areas, or place aluminum foil under furniture legs to prevent moisture absorption and staining
• Pin up draperies and upholstery skirts to prevent watermarks
• Ask your insurance agent or adjuster for referrals of firms qualified to handle water damage restoration work and with a reputation for quality work. Or, contact IICRC for a referral of certified water damage restoration firms in your area via (800) 835-4624 or www.certifiedcleaners.org. An IICRC-Certified Water Restoration Technician is trained to identify fibers and fabrics, and to select the best cleaning option. The organization is committed to providing you with service providers based on the highest level of honesty and integrity.

There isn't just one criterion for selecting a certified water damage restoration firm to restore your home and furnishings. Several combined factors must be considered:

• Education
• Formal education in water damage restoration as well as health and safety training
• Certificate(s) of continuing education on new techniques and technology
• Technician certification through a recognized industry organization
• Experience
• Insurance – worker and liability

The water damage restoration industry evolved considerably in the latter part of the 20th century. The original concept of wet-vacuuming water and opening windows to allow natural drying of structure and components over a prolonged period has long since been replaced with sophisticated equipment and technology. It became evident that water damage not only affects the structure and contents of the home, but it also impacts your health if restoration techniques are performed improperly. The increase in the microorganisms present, or in the conditions of the building that may promote microbial amplification, is of major concern. The importance of a timely response to water damage is essential to prevent progressive material damage, amplification of microorganisms and to minimize potential adverse health effects – as well as minimizing the need for costly replacement or reconstruction of affected contents and structures.

Fortunately, pipes don't break, appliances don't malfunction, and sinks don't overflow every day, but chances are you have never had to deal with water damage of this nature. As a result, you are probably not familiar with the proper steps and tactics of the restoration process and naturally have a lot of questions. Don't hesitate to ask your certified water damage restoration professional, because increasing your knowledge will ensure that your home is properly restored.

There are unique circumstances for every water damage restoration project. However, there are standards for defining criteria and methods to be used for assessing water damage and establishing restoration procedures. Water damage restoration consists of the following components:

• Loss Assessment and Evaluation. A loss assessment of the water-damaged structure must be performed in order to collect data needed to determine the degree of loss to the physical structure and its contents. This collection of data may include interviews, site inspections and physical and instrumental measurement. An evaluation based on the data collected during the loss assessment must be performed in order to determine and prioritize health and safety precautions for workers and occupants. The evaluation also serves to define and prioritize mitigation and restoration activities.
• Categorization of Water in Water Damage. A categorization of the level of contamination of water in a damaged structure is required to perform loss assessment and evaluation activities. The category of water contamination must be considered so that procedures can be used for processing water-damaged structures and materials. Water damage is divided into three general categories: “clean,” “gray” (minor contamination) and “black” (major contamination).
• Principles of Drying. There are four general principles used in drying water-damaged structures and materials: excess water removal, evaporation, dehumidification and temperature control. All four must be considered in every phase of the drying job.
• Structure and Content Considerations. Following the application of drying principles to remove excess water and promote evaporation and dehumidification, additional restoration procedures may be necessary for structural materials and contents. Items that should be examined for damage and necessary restoration measures include contents, HVAC systems, basements, crawlspaces, attics and structural components and materials.
• Monitoring. The damaged structure must be monitored starting with the initial loss assessment and evaluation, and continuing throughout the restoration process. It is highly recommended that certified water damage restoration professionals establish a moisture content or drying goal for affected building materials and contents items. Daily monitoring procedures may include temperature and humidity readings, updating progress reports and checking the moisture content of structural wood and other materials with a moisture meter.
• Final Inspection and Completion. At the conclusion of a restoration project, a final inspection, including the implementation of completion procedures, is performed. During the final inspection and completion procedures, it is important to confirm that the structure and contents have been returned to a pre-loss condition and that materials have met the predetermined drying goals.

When insurance is available to cover water losses, make sure that your insurance agent and the certified water damage restoration professional communicate so that each are clear on the general policy provisions and procedures. Certified water damage restoration professionals generally divide insured losses into three phases: mitigation, coordination and restoration.

Restoring your home after a flood is a frustrating experience, but if you hire an IICRC-Certified Firm specializing in water damage restoration, you can be assured that the job will be conducted in accordance with the industry's highest standards and your home will be back to normal as soon as possible.