Water Damage and Flooding

By Kathy Marshall

Water Restoration Technician, Emercon Restoration

A pipe breaks in your home and the water has been running for hours, you have so much water in your home that it's gushing out the front door. What do you do? If possible turn off or correct the cause of the water intrusion to stop additional damage. Then find a reliable restoration professional, you're Insurance Broker should have a relationship with a Restoration Contractor.  

A Certified Water Restoration Contractor will arrive on the scene within one hour or less; and will start removing the water, setting up fans and dehumidification to start the drying process. Your professional water specialty should be trained in the use of psychometrics - which is the scientific standard for monitoring and controlling water damage in a closed environment. The use of psychometrics will help speed the drying process. Depending on the class and categories of the water loss your restoration contractor can usually get your home dried within 3-5 days, unless you're dealing with hardwood flooring or sewage.

A guaranteed drying time can be achieved in four areas:

• Extraction: Extracting water quickly is the key to drying an area properly
• Air Movement/ Evaporation: Air movement will turn water into a vapor and is used in conjunction with humidity and temperature control.
• Dehumidification: Humidity is measured in grain per pound of air. Various dehumidification tools may be used depending on the conditions.
• Temperature Control: Managing the temperature ensures the complete drying of wet building materials and allows dehumidifiers to work efficiently.

It is important that you do not to turn off the equipment because this will delay the drying process. 

Time is of the essence for two reasons, to prevent the water from causing further damage to the building, its contents and structure and to prevent the growth of microorganisms and spores that lead to mold and "Black Water".  If the problem is not mitigated in a timely manner further damage will occur, furniture warps, cracks, split's, and stains carpets, metal components (nails, screws, corner bead) begin to rust; dyes transfer from clothing, shoes, and rugs; electronics corrode, malfunction; plywood delaminated, particle board buckles; mold can start to grow in as little as 48 hours.

Emercon is a Full-Service Insurance repair and restoration contractor, Emercon has been serving San Diego, Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange County since 1987. We are available 24/7/365; we have a national 800-734-9167 call center to handle all your need. 

www.Emercon.com