Water damage can be an immensely messy affair for home-owners. Property and valuables losses aside, water damage unchecked can lead to health and safety issues, as well as huge financial damages.

It’s one of the most common reasons for insurance claims. Broken plumbing lines, a failed sump pump, a leaky ceiling, or a water-filled basement can all put a spanner in your works.

Water damage categories Depending on the source of water, its damage potential can be ascertained by a water damage specialist, and accordingly the remediation works can be started. The below categories of water damage are understood:

 Clean Water – water spills from sanitary water sources, such as leaky pipes, dripping ceilings, pump overflows, etc. may not pose health risks in the short run, but post-damage mitigation varies vastly.
 Grey Water – water with some amount of biomedical/chemical contamination, such as water spillage from toilet bowls with urine, laundry, dishwashers etc. may be treated or handled appropriately by competent personnel.
 Black or Toxic water – water highly contaminated with pathogenic, toxigenic, or other harmful agents, such as Sewage, toilet backflows, flood water mixed with chemical sludge, etc. may be cleaned up and handled by experts.

The Size & Time Frame of Water Damage Water damage can substantially increase risk to property and life with the amount and nature of water spillage, and how much duration has passed between the spillage until the remediation process.

An unusually large amount of water spillage standing over several hours can possibly seep into the wall bricks, plaster, floor tiles and veneers. It may be even hard to dry out the affected areas completely within the first 24 hours.

On the other hand, even the minutest trickle of water leaks, compounded over several days or months, can lead to corrosion, permanent dampening, mold growth and even structural damage.

If you’re a home-owner in Columbus OH, this nifty guide will help you take prompt action against water damage.
Step-1: Call up your home insurance provider and water damage reparation specialist.

The remediation process on water damage should begin within 24-48 hours; the sooner the drying process, the easier the water remediation process. Note that water damage due to flood water may not be covered under your home insurance plan.

Step-2: Take appropriate safety measures before carrying out any water damage reparatory work. Switch off the main power supply and cooking gas pipeline. Use rubber gloves and appropriate protective equipment to handle any electrical works.

Step-3: Remove all debris from the floor, if any. Remove rugs from wet wall-to-wall carpets.

Step-4: Water needs to be extracted and dried off as much as possible, to avoid mildew and mold growth. Water damage Columbus experts have equipment suited for power vacuuming water from your floors.

If the water spillage is localized, you should dry off excess water by mopping and blotting with clean towels.

Open all windows and ventilators to enable speedy drying. You may additionally use air conditioning, dehumidifiers, air movers or fans if available to circulate air and accelerate the drying.

Enclosed spaces such as drawers and cabinet doors need to be opened for complete drying. Furniture, upholstery, fabrics, books, documents and art should be retrieved and left to dry well as soon as possible.

Step-5: The source of water must be identified before proceeding further. Water from a sanitary source, or “Gray water”—slightly contaminated water from toilets or laundry can be handled by yourself, provided you take appropriate precautions and protective gear including gloves, rubber boots.

For “black water”—i.e. highly contaminated water that may have toxic compounds, oil/grease, and/or biomedical wastes, please do not proceed and employ the services of a professional experienced in remediation of water damage columbus OH.

As a homeowner, you may not have access to all the requisite tools and
technologies for systematic restoration and reparation post water damage. The best thing you can do post water damage is employ a competent and experienced water damage professional.