Your Ultimate Guide to Water Damage Restoration

Water damage can occur in a variety of ways, from pipe leaks to failing sump pumps to heavy rains. When these events occur, the water spreads fast, absorbing into porous materials and furnishings, such as drywall, carpeting and furniture. Once saturated, these materials can get soggy, warp, and rot, and then begin to show signs of mold growth.

But whenever moisture enters your home and sits there unchecked, it can pose a health and safety threat to occupants because it can encourage the growth of mold over time. In addition to that, it can compromise the structural integrity of your home. To avoid these problems, it’s important to enlist the help of professionals for water damage restoration services as soon as possible after the flood or leak.

In this guide, we’ll go over the top reasons why water damage restoration is important as well as the top signs of water damage that you should be on the lookout for.

3 Reasons Why Water Damage Restoration is Important

Here are the top reasons why professional water damage restoration is so important.

1.   Safety

The water that has saturated your flooring and furniture may pose a health and safety risk on its own. If it’s black or gray in color, it could be contaminated. Black water in particular is bad because it can hold toxins and pathogens that pose a risk to occupants. Water damage restoration pros arrive with protective gear to guard against contaminated water.

2.   Commercial-Strength Equipment

You may be able to mop up small areas of moisture on your own, as long as they are a one-time occurrence. But if you’re talking a heavy water presence over a large area, whether during a freak rain storm or recurring problem due to the grading of your yard, you need professional attention.

Experts trained in water damage restoration can extract large volumes of water quickly, then address the resulting damage, including mold growth. The average homeowner doesn’t have the skill, patience or equipment to not only remove the water, but dry out the area and remove the offending materials. In fact, where mold is concerned, you shouldn’t handle this substance at all, as it can pose serious health threats.

Professionals are trained in the latest techniques to mitigate the damage, bringing with them commercial strength water extraction equipment, industrial fans, vacuums, and pumps.

3.   Mold Remediation

Whenever you see excessive moisture or water, mold is likely right there, proliferating as you speak. As it grows, mold spores are released into the air, which you then breathe in. The result can be throat, skin and eye irritation, as well as nasal stuffiness, coughing, and wheezing. A professional knows how to handle and remove mold safely thanks in large part to the use of protective gear, state of the art equipment, and the proper supplies.

Have you experienced water damage recently in your home or business? Time is not on your side, so call a trained professional right away. They can promptly inspect the area, assess the damage, and devise a restoration plan to get all that excess water out, fully dry the area, clean the area and sanitize it.

It’s only after all this has been done that you can even think to replace, repair or restore the materials.

6 Signs of Water Damage You Need to Look Out For

Now, let’s move on to the signs you should be looking for. After all, no homeowner wants to discover they have suffered water damage in their basement or other area of the house. Water damage spreads, often leading to mold, which will grow on any surface it comes into contact with. Spores can even travel through the air, and after landing on damp walls or flooring, can grow into a colony within 24 to 48 hours.

Prompt removal is essential to prevent foul odors from developing and further saturation of your carpeting and furniture, as well as the growth of mold and toxic mold.

The worst part about water damage is that it rarely stays in one spot. It spreads, invading other areas of your floor, eventually reaching walls and ceilings if it is not stopped.

Aside from the obvious pooling water or puddles, other signs of water damage can include anything from musty smells to dark or wet spots. Unfortunately, water damage isn’t always apparent or obvious right away. Sure, sometimes, it’s clear when you have suffered damage, such as after a burst pipe sprays water everywhere, or a big rain storm floods your basement. But in many cases, water damage is subtle and gradual.

Be on the lookout for these common signs, and call your trusted water damage restoration company in Michigan immediately.

1.     Pooling Water or Puddles

See an unusual puddle? Clean it up, then keep an eye on it to see if it returns. If so, you have a leak or some seepage.

2.    Sound

Sometimes you will hear water damage before you see it. You may detect a dripping sound, a rushing sound, or maybe you will hear a sound similar to creaking floor boards. Of course, these sounds could also be signs of a perfectly functioning and normal plumbing system, so to be more specific, be alert to any signs that those sounds have changed.

3.     Smell

Dampness has a distinct odor that is often accompanied by a musky smell, of which mold is often the culprit.

4.     Discoloration

Be on the lookout for streaks of water running down the sides of your home. This could be due to an overflowing gutter, which causes distinctive watermarks.

5.     Coldness

If your home is getting difficult to heat and maintain comfort, dampness could be affecting your walls. Water and moisture tend to draw heat out of walls to evaporate, which leaves your home colder as a result.

6.     Mold

Just like there is no smoke without fire, there’s no mold without water damage. Mold is a sign of too much moisture. Not only must the mold be cleaned up and removed, the source that has fueled it must be addressed as well, or else the mold will just come back. Mold comes with many adverse health reactions, such as runny noses, scratchy eyes and throats, headaches, and nausea. Toxic mold is even worse, with chronic exposure leading to anything from asthma and lung infections to seizures and even death. You can’t see it, but it’s there, lurking behind your walls and under carpets.  

Contact 1st Class Carpet Cleaning and Restoration Services

Calling us at the first sign of damage is key before the situation worsens. This will help you lower the costs of the total repair, as well as ensure we can treat the problem in time. Our team will arrive with powerful pumps that can quickly and efficiently extract the water from floors, rugs, carpets or drywall thanks to a commercial-strength, truck-mounted water removal system.

To book water damage restoration in New Hudson MI or surrounding areas, contact us at (248) 491-3088.

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Just used 1st class for our carpet cleaning. Glad we did!!. Personable, prompt, professional and did a fabulous job. Do not hesitate to call this company. Ginny and Claude treated us like family members. GREAT EXPERIENCE IN A WORLD OF HO HUM.
Response from the owner: Thanks for the review
Excellent results and my rugs were dirty! Very experienced,, knowledgeable and helpful owners/cleaners!! Could not be happier!
Response from the owner: Thanks for the review
I have used 1st Class for both a commercial building and our home. Both experiences were great! I thought our carpet at home was past the point of no return, but they did an amazing job. Pet stains and heavy traffic areas look so great. They are super responsive and timely. A great local small business! I would highly recommend.
Response from the owner: We appreciate the review
Great company, great owners. They always do a thorough carpet cleaning.
Excellent service. They really know there stuff when it comes to cleaning carpet and couches. Friendly staff. Very reasonable prices. Thank you.
Ginny and Claude came on short notice. They did a great job.
I could not be happier with our cleaning service from 1st Class! From my first call, Ginny worked with me to optimize the timing of our cleaning with other work being done, and all communication from there was clear and thorough. Claude and Ginny are genuinely nice people and were a pleasure to work with during the cleaning. They clearly know their stuff and stand behind their work. Results were my formerly bedraggled 9 year old carpets looking brand new and a company I will definitely use again and recommend to others.
Response from the owner: Thanks for the kind review
This Company did a fantastic job on our 30+ year old carpet that just won't wear out! While we were moving furniture back afterward, I noticed a strip in a traffic area that didn't look quite right. When I contacted them, they were back out within a few hours and promptly took care of the issue!
Response from the owner: Thanks for the review
Awesome company, my furniture looks amazing. They were clean and professional. Also, on time and went right to work!
Response from the owner: Thanks for the review
I saw their google reviews and called them for carpet cleaning. Very professional and the best carpet cleaners I have ever had and very reasonable prices. 😊😊😊
Response from the owner: Thanks we appreciate the review
Very professional, polite, the carpets looked and smelled wonderful!
I called him on Saturday to clean my couch and my chair and they came out on Sunday and did an awesome job. I will be using this company again
This company is amazing! I highly recommend them! They were on time and super friendly and did an amazing job! Great experience!
Team just left moments ago after carpet cleaning. House looks much better already. They got out stuck on stains. Highly recommend them. After using others, they are now our go to carpet cleaning crew.
Response from the owner: Thanks we try to make every experience 1stclass
Are use this company for air duct and dryer vent cleaning services. The team was extremely professional and courteous and informed me of any concerns with my events. I was very happy with the quality of the service and the duration.
Response from the owner: Thanks for using our company and it was a pleasure to meet you and your husband!
1st Class is exceptional. Extremely responsive, courteous, thorough and on time. Definitely recommend! THANK YOU!
Wow 1st class is their name for a reason. I had the vent cleaning, carpet cleaning and upholstery cleaning services done today. They did such a thorough job in 2.5 hours for a 2500 sqft house, very nice owners (husband/wife) team that show up and WORK. Very satisfied.
Hung up the phone and they were at our front door in minutes. Toilet leaking all over wet carpet.
My 2 dogs got skunked last night. We cleaned up everything we could ourselves but our main rug i couldnt get the smell out. I called 1st class and HANDS DOWN the FASTEST SERVICE IVE EVER GOTTEN. Lucky for me they live down the road and were here at my house 15 mins later. Totally professional, got rid of the smell and so understanding and helpful.Im passing there information on to all my neighbors and friends because you dont get service like they provide anywhere else!!!Thanks again for everything!!!!
Response from the owner: Thanks for the review we pride ourselves in customer service
Would recommend this company. On time and courteous. Excellent job on my carpet which was extremely dirty looks great now.
Response from the owner: Thank you Dorothy for your kind words!
They were fabulous! They were early and got some nasty stuff out. Thank you so much.
Response from the owner: Thank you!
We have a carpet that was the best quality at the time, but is 30 years old. It had so many stains, I was sure they were permanent. The owners showed up with state of the art equipment and 'steam' cleaned, not hot water clean, and got almost every stain and mark out of this old carpet. It honestly looks like new. The only stain remaining was because it was actual wood stain and you have to replace the carpet with that much damage. The steam allows you to walk on the carpet in 6 hours instead of the usual 24. We are selling this house and the carpet was the only sore spot, but not anymore. I will recommend this company to family and friends with a clear conscience.
Response from the owner: Thank you Tom for wonderful review!
On time. Easy to contact and schedule appointment. The carpet looks great!
Response from the owner: Wonderful to hear!
Very professional. Did a great job. They are the only carpet cleaning company I use.
Response from the owner: Thank you for the feedback!
Absolutely awesome experience! I needed anti-microbial cleaning for a guest coming with severe allergies. They arrived promptly, were fast and efficient and I’ll recommend them all day long.
Response from the owner: Thank you so much for sharing your experience and we are happy to serve you!
Excellent, thorough duct and carpet cleaning. Will definitely use them again!
Response from the owner: Great to hear!
Did a first-class job on time and very professional. No pricing games just a good honest job at a good fair price.
Response from the owner: Thanks!
Claude was a great guy and too informative. He explained me of every bit of the services that he was doing. I would definitely try him all the time and would recommend him :-)
Response from the owner: This is terrific to hear and thank you for your feedback!
After our crawlspace flooded due to a frozen pipe, we could not have asked for a better experience or better service than what Claude provided. One of the perks of a small town and local business - we called in the later evening hours on a weeknight, expecting to get voicemail and/or be told we would have to wait a couple days, but Claude was there with a pump within 20 minutes! A good 2-3 feet of water was pumped and gone by the next morning allowing us to quickly get our pipe fixed and boiler up and running so we could heat our house. Claude brought a blower over, checked in with us regularly, and finalized his part by spraying to prevent mold. Friendly, knowledgeable, and more than fair in pricing. We highly recommend this local small business!
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