Water Damage Q&A

PuroClean Home Rescue services Northern California and parts of Nevada, but we still want to be able to help wherever you are. At some point in time water damage may affect your home. At PuroClean Home Rescue we understand the industry and we want to help you through the sometimes confusing process of water damage mitigation.

Post your water damage related question below and we will answer it for you:

4 Responses to Water Damage Q&A

  1. Walter Remdo says:

    water removal should take place immediately after a mold problem is discovered. Mold removal cost will depend largely on the size of the problem. There are numerous bathroom mold removal products on the market, all of which will kill mold, but in smaller cases of mold removal, bleach based solutions will do quite nicely.

    • Admin says:

      Thanks for posting Walter. You are correct, there are numerous products that will “kill” mold, but is that your aim when getting rid of mold? What you should be focused on is firstly stopping the source of water or increased humidity in the bathroom (open a window or use the vent fan while showering). Next your goal is to remove the mold (not just kill it). If it’s on drywall you will need to remove that drywall and install new drywall. If it’s on the shower tiles, then you can wipe it off and keep it clean. Remember the mold isn’t growing on the tiles (it’s needs to grow on something organic based, like wood or paper), what it’s actually growing on is a thin layer of dead skin, hair and soap – so keep the shower clean and you wont have a problem on the tiles. By the way – using bleach is an entirely different story and I will devote a post to it soon, but for now lets just say you’re better off using something like Dawn dish soap.

  2. Patricia S says:

    Hi, I don’t have any water damage or mold, but a friend of mine does. Can you provide me with some information on how they can remove the water themselves (they don’t have insurance). Can you also let me know what can happen if they don’t do it quickly in terms of mold. Their house is predominantly carpet, I don’t know if that makes a difference or not? Thanks in advance.

    • Admin says:

      Hi Patricia – great question. Ok here goes.

      Water damage is quite possibly the single most destructive force your home or business can experience, even more so than fire. If that sounds like a bold statement to make, consider; as bad as a fire is, it usually keeps its damage zone confined to the area where the fire actually occurred, and it is also, in most cases, easily extinguished. Water, on the other hand, is a different story.

      Water comes in and does a great deal of damage right away. Even as little as an inch of water can wreak a lot of havoc. Just picture your living room under one inch of water and see how many different things would be affected. What’s worse though, is that water continues to cause damage until it is properly treated and removed. Standing water will begin to break down the structural integrity of your home through the rotting of wood, rusting of metal, as well as setting the stage for more serious long term problems such as mold growth.

      Mold can appear in as little as 48 hours following any case of water damage, spread rapidly, and prove itself almost impossible to successfully remove. Even worse, it also brings with it all manner of health problems, ranging from slight allergic reactions to more serious neurological problems, respiratory issues, and lung disease.

      Whether the water damage in your home is a minor spill or a major disaster, the goal is the same, to completely remove all excess water and dry everything out to make sure those long term problems do not crop up.

      Excess water can typically be removed utilizing a wet dry vacuum unit or a heavy duty, gas powered submersible pump. Which one you use depends of course on the depth and severity of the spill. If the water is more than several feet deep, you want to pump the water out slowly but steadily, at the rate of about a third a day. Any faster could result in uneven pressure that may weaken the walls and make them prone to collapse.

      Once the water has been removed, do not assume the problem is solved. Surfaces, even solid ones like concrete, will still be wet to the touch, having retained a considerable amount of moisture. You will need to utilize high velocity fans, blowers, and dehumidifiers (the more, the better) to remove all residual moisture from surfaces and the surrounding air. Again, depending on the severity of the spill, it may take several hours up to a couple of days for everything to be completely dried out.

      If carpet is a part of the problem, it will need to be taken up, dried out, cleaned, disinfected and sanitized, possibly more than once. The flooring beneath will have to be likewise treated. Remember that any moisture left over when the carpet is put back down may result in eventual mold growth.

      If mold does occur, care should be taken when dealing with it. Smaller growths may be successfully remediated by the homeowner, but larger growths should be handled by a professional. Remember that the physical dangers presented by mold can be serious.

      Water damage is never a problem to be taken lightly. Only proper water damage restoration can guarantee that the problem will be taken care of correctly.

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