Introduction

Water damage can take a serious toll on your home. It can damage your belongings and even compromise the structural integrity of your home. If you observe water damage, it is important to act immediately to restore your home to its original state before the water damage. The extent of water damage can be understood from the fact that water damage insurance claims have reached more than $2.5 billion per year. There are many good water damage restoration agencies in Atlanta, Georgia and throughout the USA who can help you deal with such damages. They provide complete restoration through emergency water extraction and dry out services. The current article provides detailed insights into the common reasons for water damage, dangers of water damage, benefits of hiring a professional water damage restoration agency, and tips for hiring the best water damage restoration agency. 

Common Reasons for Water Damage

Water damage is caused by waterlogging and sudden flooding in your home. The key reasons for waterlogging and flooding which can cause water damage are discussed below:

Burst Pipes

Burst pipes are one of the most common reasons for water damage. Burst pipes can result from change in water pressure or faulty setup. Burst pipes can cause flooding very quickly and can cause severe water damage to your home. If you observe leaking pipes in your home, then they may be indicative of a potential burst pipe situation. If the pipes have become too old or rusty, then it is better to replace them to stay safe from flooding and water damage.

Water Heater Leaks

Water heater leaks can also cause waterlogging in your home. Generally, water heater is designed to constantly fill itself and provide you hot water continuously. Water heater leaks can lead to waterlogging and flooding in your home quickly due to the continuous supply of water being fed to it. You should regularly observe it for any water heater leaks and should get it serviced and repaired by a good technician to stay protected from any mishap.

Bathroom Flooding

Bathroom flooding is a major reason for waterlogging and flooding of homes. Your bathroom contains more sources of water than any other part of the home. Since bathrooms are generally located on the upper floor, bathroom flooding can cause water seepage into ceiling which can cause structural damages. Bathroom flooding can be caused by many factors like an overflowing toilet, stall leakage, ruptured supply lines, etc. Bathroom flooding can cost you an average of $10,000 which makes it one of the costlier water damages in your home.

Malfunctioning Home Appliances

Malfunctioning home appliances and water leakage from their hoses can lead to house flood. Most common home appliances which can lead to such damages are refrigerator, water heaters, dishwashers, air conditioning, etc. All these home appliances become vulnerable to wear and tear which can cause them to malfunction. A leak in the intake hose of your washing machine can cause flooding and waterlogging in your house quickly. The best way to stay safe from such water damages is to regularly inspect your home appliances for any signs of water leakage and getting them repaired immediately in such cases.

Natural Disasters

Natural disasters also lead to flooding and waterlogging in your home. You will generally have no control on natural disasters like flood, hurricanes, etc. which can cause rapid water build-up.

Dangers from Water Damage

Flooding can cause considerable damage to your home which will require emergency water removal and dry out services from professionals. Some of the major dangers from water damage are as follows:

Structural Problems

Severe flood damage can compromise the structural integrity of your home. It can affect and damage your home’s ceiling, walls, floor, and even the foundation and make it potentially dangerous to live in. If the house flood is severe, you must immediately get it restored by contacting a professional water damage restoration agency. They can perform emergency water extraction and dry out services to protect your home from structural damages.

Health Problems

Flooding can lead to growth of mold and mildew in your home which can result in significant health problems. Mold can severely affect people suffering from allergies, asthma, and other respiratory problems. It takes only 48 hours for mold growth to start rapidly after an event of house flood and water damage. Depending upon the source of water, your home can become a perfect breeding ground for bacteria, germs, and different types of harmful microbes.

Electrical Problems

In case of flooding, the electrical wiring of your home can be easily damaged by the water. It can result in blown fuses, short circuit, damaging of electrical appliances, and also lead to fire or electrocution. Clearly this is a dangerous situation for you and your family and needs immediate attention. In such cases you should shut off the electricity connection from the main switch to stay safe. Once the restoration is complete, you must get your home wiring and electric connections inspected and repaired by an electrician.

Chemical Contamination

During an event of house flood, water from external sources which may contain hazardous chemicals can enter your house. It will not only damage your home and belongings; it can also cause a chemically contaminated environment. This can have severe health problems and it is highly recommended to consult professionals to get your home restored.

Benefits of Hiring Water Damage Restoration Agency

When your house is affected by flood and waterlogging, it is in your best interest to hire a professional and reputed water damage restoration service. You should never try to do the restoration work on your own as it can cause further damage, even storm damage. Water damage restoration agencies have experience of dealing with such damages and they provide the best restoration to your house in a short time period. Some of the key benefits of hiring a good water damage restoration agency are provided below:

Quick and Easy Restoration

Flood damage can cause considerable inconvenience to the residents of a premise. Hiring a professional water restoration service provider helps you to get quick service which is critical in limiting flood damage. Once you contact them, you will get prompt service emergency water extraction along with dry out services. Such a prompt response ensures that the damage is not aggravated and prevents any severe damage. There are many professional water damage restoration agencies which provide 24x7 service which is important in dealing with such emergency. Time is precious in dealing with emergency water removal and limit the flood damage caused to the premises.

Professional Advice

It is very important to hire professionals while dealing with house flood and related damage. Water restoration damage agencies have professionals with many years of experience on their rolls. These professionals can do a thorough assessment of the nature and extent of damage caused by water and recommend you the best strategy for undertaking a quick restoration. In the event of such flooding and damage, it is very difficult for you to assess whether your belongings like the wet carpet, furniture, etc. are fit for reuse or not. Water restoration agency will assess the damage caused to these belongings and suggest you if whether they can be reused.

Availability of Latest Equipment

When it comes to restoration of flood damage, hiring experts is the best alternative. They have the latest and most sophisticated equipment which provides you the best quality restoration work. Their staff are also highly trained and experienced in using this state-of-the-art restoration equipment. They use equipment like heavy-duty dehumidifiers, air movers, vacuum cleaners, fans, etc. which are not available in your house. This equipment can remove large quantities of standing water and also extract water from damaged materials quickly.

Prevents Mold Growth

Once your premises have been subjected to house flood, you will be faced with the challenge of mold growth. Areas of your house like the ceiling, floor joints, walls, etc. are some of the most common places where you can expect mold growth after water-related damage. Mold is toxic and it can cause severe health issues for your family. Water damage restoration agencies have rich experience of dealing with and addressing mold growth after flooding.  They have the right equipment, protective gear, and technique for providing you a permanent solution to mold growth which is quite common after flooding.

Help in Insurance Claim Filing

A professional and credible water damage restoration company has experience in dealing with insurance companies. They can help you greatly in proper documentation of your losses which is critical for filing an insurance claim. They can also help you to get a reasonable settlement against your claim from your insurance company. They can also provide you proof of damage in case of any dispute which may arise between you and the insurance company. Hence, hiring a good water damage restoration agency not only helps you to quickly restore the damage, it is also beneficial for you to in filing and settlement of your insurance claim.

Reduced Cost and Losses

Hiring a good water damage restoration agency provides you the advantage of reducing the costs and damage related to house flood. These agencies have rich experience and expertise of dealing with such damages and they can provide prompt restoration services. This ensures that the damage is rectified at the earliest which may have otherwise escalated into a bigger damage and would also have cost much more to resolve.

How to Choose the Best Water Damage Restoration Agency?

Selecting a good water damage restoration agency is critical for proper restoration of your house after water damage. You will find many water damage restoration agencies in Cobb County. You can consider the following tips for selecting the best water damage restoration agency:

Check for Local References and Online Reviews

The first step in choosing a good water damage restoration service is to take local references. You can take feedback from your family or friends who have used such services earlier. Their feedback will provide you a fair idea of the quality of work you can expect from them. You can also check online reviews to understand the nature and quality of services provided by these agencies.

Expertise in the Field

Another important consideration is to check the number of years of experience of the agency in providing emergency water extraction and restoration services. They should have skilled and trained manpower on their rolls for providing you the best service. You can check if the manpower has undergone any training on water damage restoration or not. You can ask them the details of their past clients for taking feedback. Generally, most agencies will be glad to share such details. If they are reluctant or unwilling to share details of their past clients, it may mean that they are new to the business or they don’t have enough satisfied clients. Such agencies should be strictly ignored.  

Prefer Local Agency

When selecting a good water damage agency, it is always recommended to prefer local agency. The agency should have a local presence and office which will mean that they are invested in the community and will provide better service. It is also easier to assess the quality of service provided by local agencies compared to outstation agencies. Water damage restoration requires prompt service for emergency water removal and only a local agency can come to your rescue quickly. Outstation agencies can be unreliable and their services will be delayed too.

Must Meet Regulatory Compliances

The agency should also meet regulatory compliances in your state. They should be licensed to provide water damage restoration services in your state. If an agency is licensed, it means that they meet the basic level of expertise and requirements needed for providing professional services in the state. These agencies should also be insured which means that if there is any kind of damage which results from the restoration work, the damage will be covered by the insurance company and not you.

Uses Latest Equipment

You should ensure that the water damage restoration company uses latest equipment for providing services. They should have heavy-duty vacuum cleaners, dehumidifiers, air movers, etc. to discharge their duties properly which will help them in emergency water removal.

Helps in Filing Insurance Claim

A professional water damage restoration agency should help you with filing insurance claims. You should ensure that the agency has enough experience of helping their clients with documenting losses from house flood and assist in filing proper documents along with the insurance claims. You should look for agencies which will help in getting you a reasonable claim settlement resulting from such damages.