10 Water Damage Cleanup Mistakes to Avoid

Water damage can be highly destructive. Whether the source of damage is a burst pipe or a hurricane, the water can flow through your home, causing major damage, not all of which will be visible or immediate.

Because of the complexities of water damage, it’s easy to make mistakes in the cleanup process – mistakes that can make damage much worse, both for your home and your health. Here are some of the most common mistakes we see from people trying to clean up water damage.

Trying to Handle Water Damage Yourself

Perhaps the biggest mistake people make cleaning up water damage is trying to tackle it themselves when the job needs professional expertise.

In general, you should only handle water damage yourself if all the following are true:

• You know the source of water
• The water came from a clean source
• The water damage occurred all at once, not over time
• Water didn’t get behind the walls or ceiling
• The water was in place less than 24 hours

If your water damage doesn’t meet all these conditions, then it’s best to let a professional water damage restoration company handle the job. You should always have a professional handle water damage from a flood or sewer backup since this water contains contaminants that may create health hazards in your home or business. Water damage that occurred over time can cause subtle but serious structural weakness that you might not be able to track down or repair. When water gets behind your walls or ceiling, it can be very hard to remove the water and dry the area properly. In addition, water that’s been in place for a long period of time can create dangerous conditions for you.

Not Dealing with Water Damage Right Away

As soon as you detect water leaking in your home, it’s important to track down the source and stop it. The longer you wait to patch a leak in the roof, replace a leaky pipe, or address overflow from an appliance, the more water damage will lead to destruction of your home by rot, swelling, and additional weight.

When you have standing water in your home, it’s critical to remove it immediately. You might think that your walls have the water contained, but the likely truth is that there is room for water to escape by either flowing through holes or soaking through the walls of your home.

Trying to Save Too Much

We understand that in the wake of devastating water damage, your first instinct might be to try to save as much as possible. However, the truth is that much of what is in your home will simply have to be thrown out. Dispose of any food that came into contact with water. Many electronics aren’t worth the risk of saving since they could short out and trigger a fire if damaged by water. Plush furniture might retain too much water to be dried quickly enough, leading to the presence of mold colonies within the furniture. Try to save only what you know you can safely and effectively dry. If you want to save additional items, work with a water damage restoration professional who can handle a more complicated drying process.

Trying to Dry Items in Place

When trying to clean up after water damage, many people make the mistake of trying to dry the contents of their home in place. They might not want to move water-soaked furniture. Most people aren’t prepared to pull up their carpet to dry it, though this may be the only way to save it. People might also try to dry their walls with wallpaper up, baseboards on, paintings on the wall, and more, even though all these impediments can slow the rate at which walls dry.

Trying to Dry Too Fast

Once everything gets wet, a clock starts ticking – if it takes too long for something to dry, it will start to grow mold. This makes people think that the faster you can dry something the better. Although this can help you avoid mold growth, it can lead to other problems like warping of wood.

Don’t set up a fan to blow directly on the objects you are trying to dry, and don’t put objects in direct sunlight unless it’s specifically recommended for that type of material.

Using Too Much Heat

We all know that heat can help items dry quickly, so why wouldn’t we want to use heat in drying wet furniture or walls? First, there’s the problem that you might dry items too quickly, leading to the warping problem we mentioned above.

Second, heat can speed mold growth more than it speeds drying. Unless you know the proper temperature and air flow pattern to maximize drying and minimize mold growth, it’s best to avoid using heat when you clean up water damage.

Assuming There’s No Water Behind the Wall or Ceiling

We’ve mentioned before that water damage behind the wall or in the ceiling should be grounds for getting a professional to handle the water damage restoration process.

Don’t just assume that there’s no water behind the wall. In fact, if there was standing water on the floor, it’s probably safe to assume that there is water behind the wall, and probably a lot more than you would expect. Insulation can act as a sponge, soaking up water, and water can wick up through drywall to a height of more than two feet above the level of water.

If you don’t have a moisture meter, watch for water that oozes out of the wall as you remove standing water. If you’re not sure, remove the baseboard in areas where there was water and cut small holes to see what the wall looks like inside.

Using a Water-Damaged HVAC System

If air circulation is helpful for drying, people often try to use their home’s HVAC system to move air throughout the home to help with drying.

This is reasonable if you know that your HVAC hasn’t been affected by water. However, if the system has been affected by water, the system could spread mold spores through the building, encouraging mold growth in more places.

Trying to Use Waterlogged Electrical Circuits

Water damage, especially prolonged water damage, can compromise the function and safety of your electrical system. Plugging in fans and other appliances near the affected area can be dangerous if the water reached the level of the outlets of higher. Remember – water could have reached higher behind the walls than in the room. If you have any doubts about the safety of your electrical system, turn off circuits where the water level was too high. Don’t use these circuits until you get a professional to inspect them and verify their safety.

If you want to run fans in these areas, use extension cords (but remember not to chain extension cords).

Not Verifying Dryness

Finally, it’s important to keep drying the damaged area until it is completely dry. Don’t stop just because things look dry. Test the dryness level with a moisture meter, or else keep drying long after you think things are dry to the touch. If you are trying to dry the walls, don’t forget to use small holes to inspect behind the walls to make sure they are sufficiently dry.

It can often be difficult to conclusively determine whether your home or business is completely dry without the proper equipment. For this reason, it’s always best to work with a professional water damage restoration company who can ensure your property is completely dry before moving forward with repairs.

Avoid Mistakes: Choose RestorePro

If you want water damage cleaned up right, don’t do it yourself. Instead, work with RestorePro. We have been the leading water damage restoration company in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee for over 30 years. We offer 24/7 emergency response service – our team will arrive at any time of day or night and get started reversing your water damage right away. We understand how to clean and dry different materials to make sure they aren’t damaged by drying. We can handle all parts of the restoration process, from repairing a burst pipe to replacing carpet and trim.

Plus, we can coordinate with your insurance company, easing the claims process. We can thoroughly document the damage as well as all the repairs so that your claim won’t be denied or delayed for lack of documentation. Instead, you will get the full claim you’re entitled to under the terms of your policy.

For help with restoring your home from water damage, please contact RestorePro today.