Dealing with Water Damage (Part 2)

Water damage can result in the loss of valuables and can quickly disrupt your life and business operations. Our CEO, Mason Venable put together a list of advice and tips about how to prevent water damage and what to do if this type of damage occurs in your home or business.

Routine Inspections

Prevent potential catalysts for water damage by routinely inspecting different areas of your home or office.

Be sure the gutters and exit drain lines remain free of all debris and ensure the underground drain line exit does not become clogged with grass and dirt.
Check connection fittings under sinks and toilets.
Change water heaters once the heater has reached or slightly exceeded its projected lifetime and when replacing, purchase a more expensive commercial model as these come with a longer life expectancy and warranty rating. While the commercial model costs more it is well worth the expense.
Establish a roof inspection schedule to remove debris, similar to that of changing the HVC filters and smoke alarm batteries. Roof debris slows and prevents water from flowing freely and often results in internal damages.

Upgrades/Replacements

Consider making the following upgrades or replacements to your home or office:

Exchange all rubber washing machine supply lines with reinforced stainless flexible supply lines that have a higher pressure rating and come with a lifetime warranty.
Add gutter guard if your home or office is surrounded by trees
Replace icemaker lines with a more flexible braided supply line and do away with hard plastic or copper that is prone to kink or develop pin hole leaks.
Replace copper, cast and galvanized plumbing lines at the first sign of problems. These type pipes have been around for years but once they begin to require attention, there are likely more problems to come. If possible, replace all pipes with PEX (cross-linked polyethylene). This type of pipe does not corrode and can expand by 30% or more when trapped water freezes.

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General Tips

Keep the heat turned up during a winter storm or polar vortex type situation.
Take extra precaution with pipes located on external walls or exposed to cold attic air.
Once a toilet begins to run and the ballcock or flapper needs attention, call a licensed plumber to change the parts on all the toilets.
Remove water heaters and water pipes from your attic but if this is not possible, consider insulation blankets and additional attic insulation.
Consider having a plumber install a water shutoff valve within an interior closet so all water can be shut off without having to go under the home or out to the water meter box by the road.
Shut off water and drain toilets when leaving the home or business for any length of time.
Avoid using any type of mulch that floats on the exterior of the building. During a heavy storm, mulch will float into drains that channel water away from basements or areas that are below grade. We recommend stone or crushed bricks for bedding cover.

While American Restoration is available 24/7, in the event of a loss, there are certain things you can do before a restoration company arrives to mitigate additional damage. Consider the following:

Immediately

Shut off the source of the water or sewer leak
If the loss is the result of a washing machine failure, remove wet clothing from the affected machine
When wood floors are affected, do not delay in calling a restoration company as special floor drying mats need to be installed immediately if there is any hope in saving the floors. The mats will actually pull trapped water up through the joints in the floor and if caught early enough, most floors can be saved.

Prevent Additional Damage

Move affected contents to higher ground and place plastic under the affected contents so as not to damage unaffected floor coverings.
Remove affected items from wet boxes and discard wet boxing materials
Move paintings, fine arts, guns, irreplaceable and sentimental items to a safe haven

Take Caution

If Class 3 Black Water is present, avoid direct contact with the contaminate and try to limit time in the affected space to keep from inhaling contaminants.
Be careful to not track water and contaminates from the affected area into unaffected areas.
Avoid walking under affected ceilings as ceilings have a tendency to collapse due to the weight of absorbing the water or sewer.

Our biggest tip if your home or business suffers from water damage is to call a restoration company immediately. Don’t delay! Delay costs time and money and increases the exposure to mold and it often times compounds and prolongs the repair process. We are well-trained and prepared to mitigate damage immediately and it is our ultimate goal to return your life or business back to normal as soon as possible.

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