Water damage is easily identified by several characteristics. The most easily recognized is moisture, followed by discoloration. Drywall will swell and become soft where exposed to water, and hard wood floors will swell to the point of buckling.

If in doubt, call your local water damage repair specialists at Flood Pros USA. Once on site the technicians will locate and address the source of the water damage, immediately isolating the damaged property. Often times water will travel throughout a home beneath flooring, so don't be surprised if areas remote from the source have suffered from water damage as well. Once the source and affected areas are identified, the Flood Pros USA technicians will gauge the severity of the damage. Depending on the extent of damage, they may opt for several remediation procedures. In the case of mild water damage, they will manually extract the moisture with mops, and employ a high powered vacuum cleaner-like device to remove moisture from carpets.

Hardwood floors may be addressed using a system of "vacuum mats" that gradually extract moisture from beneath the floor boards so thoroughly that buckling wood will settle back into place. In cases of extreme damage all floors must be removed, including carpets, hardwood floors, and ceramic. Unfortunately this process is invasive, messy, and loud, and the Flood Pros technicians may recommend that you leave for the duration of the floor removal.

It is also highly recommended that home owners consult their insurance representative before authorizing this procedure. In all cases of water damage, once the moisture has been addressed, the technicians will install a series of high powered air movers and a large dehumidifier to create a dehumidification system. The basic principle is that the air movers pass air over the exposed areas to draw the moisture into the air movement, meanwhile the dehumidifier removes the moisture from the air movement. This process can take several days and results in a noticeable temperature increase throughout the home. However, at the end of this process, your water damage will have been addressed, and the areas in question ready for full repair.