Water Damage Restoration | Keeping Your Home And Business Afloat

In the United States, the average household can waste up to 10,000 gallons of water each year due to leaks. Given the number of pipes and faucets in your average commercial building, businesses can waste even more water. 

Homes and businesses have more than their water bill to worry about though. That water has to go somewhere, and often it will pool up and potentially cause water damage. Water damage accounts for the second-highest number of property insurance claims, only behind wind and hail damage. 

A water damage restoration company can repair any water damage you may have while also protecting your home and business in the future. If you’re wondering what causes water damage, how to prevent it, and to do if it happens, read on. We’ll go over the information you need to protect your home and family. 

What Causes Water Damage? 

There are several things that could cause your home or business to take water damage. Understanding some of the causes can help you prevent it from happening in the future because you’ll know what to look out for.

Pipes That Burst or Leak

Drains or toilets that back up can cause pressure on pipes, leading to bursts or pipes. Tree roots can also cause damage to pipes. Water from these leaks can pool up and cause damage and mold to grow. This type of damage can be hard to notice early because it could occur behind your walls, leading to major problems later. 

Flooding

Storms can cause your basement, attic, or crawl spaces to flood, leaving a large pool of standing water that could go unnoticed. Storms can also cause damage to your roof, leading to leaks. This standing water can weaken the structure of your home, which could then cause thousands of dollars in damage. 

Home Appliances 

There are a few appliances that can cause water damage in your home. Dishwashers and water heaters in particular can lead to issues that are hard to spot until there’s been a good amount of damage. It’s important to have a professional check on these appliances regularly to prevent this from happening. 

Plumbing Issues

An improperly attached hose or clamp can lead to major problems. The biggest problem is that the water damage caused by the issues can often go undetected because it can happen behind walls where you can’t see it. Before you know it, water could pool in your walls and work its way into other areas of your home. 

It’s important to seek the help of a professional immediately if you believe that your home could have any of these issues. In many cases, even the smallest leak could escalate quickly and cause severe long-term damage. It’s better to call a water damage restoration company early on than waiting for the problem to get worse. You’ll pay a lot less if you spot a problem early and get water damage cleanup done before the situation escalates. 

What Are The Risks of Water Damage? 

You should always correct water damage as soon as you notice a problem. Waiting to call a professional can costs you more than money…it can lead to structural issues in your home. Water buildup can lead to several issues and can even put your family’s health at risk!

Physical Damage To Your Home

Once water damage takes over your home, it can cause severe damage if you don’t fix it soon enough. It could cause your home’s struts to warp, causing your home to become unstable. Your foundation could crack due to earth pressing on it, also causing instability. 

In a worst-case scenario, your home’s walls could tilt, causing your home to collapse. Your roof could sag due to water buildup or your drywall could become soaked, leading to mold inside of your home. In severe circumstances, your home may become inhabitable. 

This is why it’s important to contact a water damage restoration company as soon as you notice a problem. If you wait too long, you may find out that you have to stay somewhere else during repairs because the condition of your home is too unsafe. The worst-case scenario is that the cost of repair becomes so high that leaving the home is your best option.

Health Problems 

One of the biggest concerns regarding water damage isn’t the harm it can cause your home. You can replace your house and belongings, but your health is something that’s not easy to get back. Water damage can cause serious health problems if not taken care of. 

Pools of Water

Standing water can cause health problems due to the growth of microorganisms that lead to viruses and bacteria. Inside of your home, the airborne viruses have nowhere to go and can spread through your AC system. Breathing them in can cause health issues, especially for someone that has a pre-existing condition like asthma. 

Pools of water are generally in one of three categories: 

• Category One: Clean water
• Category Two: Grey water that typically comes from home appliances
• Category Three: Black water that normally contains human or animal waste. Typically comes from sewage lines, rivers, or lakes. 

If your home has water damage that comes from black water, you’ll likely need to replace everything in the affected area. This water tends to contain contaminants that can make you and your family ill.

Mold Exposure

Toxic mold can also develop due to water damage and be very difficult to get rid of. There are several types of molds, and many of them are harmless, but there are some that can cause severe illness. 

Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Stachybotrys are the big three when it comes to mold detected after water damage that can cause you to have allergic reactions. If your home has these three molds in the air, you or a family member could develop: 

• Bronchial asthma
• Allergic rhinitis (sneezing, itchy eyes and nose, headaches, and coughing) 
• Allergic Fungal Sinusitis (chronic sinusitis, can lead to vision loss if untreated)
• Hives

If you or a family member has an impaired immune system, mold could also cause systemic infections, which can be a cause for serious medical concern. If you ever notice mold in your home, it’s time to call a professional for immediate help and remediation. 

How To Prevent Water Damage 

There are some ways that you can prevent water damage to your home and business. 

The first thing you should do is immediately repair any damaged shingles on your roof. If you own a home or a business, have a professional inspect your roof at least once per year. They can let you know if there’s any damage that needs attention. This is also a great way to make sure you don’t have water already pooling up somewhere. If there are missing shingles, there’s a good chance that water has already infiltrated the building.

You should also frequently check for potential leaks and find any that you find immediately. If you notice that your water pressure is lower than usual, call a plumber and have them check to make sure your pipes are okay. The sooner you get a leak fixed, the better. 

Installing a sump pump will help protect you against water damage in your basement. Test your sump pump once a year to make sure it’s operating properly. If not, a bad storm could cost you thousands of dollars.  

The Process of Water Restoration 

Some people put off calling a water restoration service because they worry that water damage cleanup is a complicated process. While water damage restoration can be difficult in some cases, the longer you put it off, the harder it will be. 

If you catch water damage early, you can both minimize the amount of damage while also shaving time and money off the cleanup process. How does the process work? Here’s a brief guide that describes what we do when you call us. 

Step One: Inspection 

The first thing we need to do is see the extent of the damage. During your inspection, we’ll evaluate your home or business to determine the class and category of damage. Every situation is different, and only through a thorough inspection will know how to best take care of your building. 

We’ll also look for the source of the water damage and check out other areas of your building to make sure that there aren’t any hidden problems. Often, we find other areas that need attention as well. If you have water in your attic, for example, we’ll often find that the water has done damage to other walls throughout the house as it runs down. It could even pool in other areas of your building that you can’t see. 

A thorough inspection helps us save you money long-term, as we’re able to spot and fix other areas so that they don’t become worse over time. Our goal is to fix the problem the first time so that you don’t have to call back with another major issue months later. 

The four classes of damage are: 

• Class One – Part of a room with little moisture. This type of damage is typically straightforward and easy to take care of.
• Class Two – An entire room has water damage. The water has also damaged your carpet and walls, making cleanup more difficult. 
• Class Three – This is the worst type of damage and will require extensive cleanup. In this case, you have water damage that’s likely come from the ceiling, saturated most, if not all, of an area, and absorbed into the walls, potentially causing structural damage.
• Class 4 – This category is for water damage to stone, concrete, and hardwood. The amount of damage varies, but there are special drying methods that we have to use.

There are also three categories, which are the ones described above: clean water, grey water, or black water. 

Once we determine what your situation is, we’ll sit down and develop a plan with you so that you have an idea of how long it will take us and any potential complications that could happen. Once this happens, we’ll begin the drying phase. 

Water Removal and Drying 

The first thing we’ll do is vacuum out any standing water using pumps and vacuums. This will happen as soon as possible to limit any damage and exposure to potential bacteria. The equipment used will depend on the type of water and could require special protection measures as well. 

Once the water is out of your home or business, we’ll begin drying and dehumidifying your building. We have to clear out any moisture to prevent further mold from growing. Depending on the amount of damage, the drying stage could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. We’ll leave the drying equipment on-site if needed until the area gets back to the proper level of moisture. 

Cleaning 

Anything that you have in the affected area will need cleaning and sanitization. Mold spores and bacteria spread easily, and once they’re in your furniture they can easily spread to other parts of your home through clothing, pets, or airflow. 

Carpets, clothing, furniture, and drapery receive antimicrobial treatments to stop the spread of unwanted particles and protect your health. We’ll also use air scrubbers if you need them to get rid of spores and particles from the air. 

In some cases, you might need to replace these items. Furniture and appliances that’s in the area may have sustained damage that makes it unusable. 

Water Damage Restoration 

The longest and most arduous step in the process is restoration. During this phase, we’ll replace any damaged drywall, insulation, flooring, and other materials. We may also need to replace any busted pipes, reinforce framing, and more. 

The amount of time this takes a water restoration company depends on the damage. The sooner you notice water damage and call us, the better. Long term water damage can also damage the frame of the house, causing thousands of dollars in damage. In some cases, you may need to leave the building during this process. 

It’s imperative that any water restoration companies you use have experience in dealing with water damage restoration. If a company skips any of these steps or doesn’t do them properly, you could end up having long-term damage that costs you money long-term. If the home isn’t properly sanitized or there’s moisture left behind, it could even put your health at risk!

You should also never attempt to DIY this process. While you may be able to remove the standing water, you need a professional to make sure that the source of the problem gets addressed. You also run the risk of getting sick if the water has contaminants in it. Standing water can contain bacteria that could make you sick or even lead to death.

Never attempt to handle flood restoration or water damage repair on your own. The money that you may save isn’t worth the risk to your building or health. 

Why You Should Call CTR 

If you have water damage in your home or business, choosing the right water damage restoration business is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. Now that you understand the potential damage to your structure and possible health complications, you know how important it is to choose the best water mitigation company. 

Here’s why you can trust CTR with your home or business. 

Everything You Need Under One Roof 

CTR does more than water damage repair. We also help local families and business owners with bio-hazard & infectious cleanup, wind & storm damage, environmental restoration, construction services. 

What this means for you is that if your property has other issues related to water damage, we can take care of it for you. You’ll only have one company to deal with, making your life easier. Dealing with water damage is hard enough without having to worry about communicating with multiple companies. 

We can handle your water restoration needs, take care of any bio-hazard & infectious cleanup that you need as a result of standing water, fix the source of the water damage, and in the worst-case scenario, we can reconstruct the damaged areas of your home. 

We’ll be with you every step of the way, and you can trust that we have the experience necessary to get the job done right the first time. 

Honesty and Integrity 

We understand that water damage can put a lot of stress on families and business owners. Not only could you deal with a lot of damage to your building or home, but you then have to allow strangers inside of your personal space to fix the issue. 

When you choose us, we’ll do everything we can to make the process as easy as possible. We believe in honest communication with our clients. When we inspect your building, we’ll let you know upfront how we expect the process to go. We’ll never sugarcoat anything or give you an unrealistic timeline or cost to get you to choose us. Honesty is always our policy. 

We’ll also keep you informed and make sure you know exactly what we’re doing. If anything unexpected comes up, we’ll let you know right away so that there aren’t any surprises along the way. We want to provide you with the best service possible, so we’ll check everything to make sure that the job gets done right. 

We’ll always respect your home and office. We do everything in our power to make the experience as comfortable for you as possible. We’ll never leave a mess for you to clean up when we’re finished with the restoration and won’t quit until we’ve finished the job to your satisfaction. 

Our mission is to provide you with world-class service and treat your home or business with the respect it deserves. 

Experience 

Whether you’re in Boise, Twin Falls, or Caldwell, you can rest assured that our team has the experience needed to handle your particular needs. We’re the largest independent and privately-owned restoration company in Idaho, meaning we have both the know-how and resources to handle any job. 

We’ve served the Idaho and Eastern Oregon area for years and helped customers recover from every type of water damage imaginable. We also work hard to ensure that our employees have the training needed for every situation. Our internal training program keeps employees up-to-date with the latest in water damage restoration techniques. 

A Dedication To Service

Here at CTR, we believe that everyone deserves compassion when they’re in a time of need. Our mission is to serve our customers and be by their side when disaster strikes. 

Everyone in our company believes that serving others is life’s greatest honor. We only hire those that have a passion for service and that understand that compassion is as important as technical know-how. 

Our belief in service extends beyond our interaction with customers. We also serve our community by supporting local charities and organizations. We believe that businesses should operate ethically and help support the communities that keep them running. 

CTR Is Here For You

If you’re in need of water damage restoration services, CTR is here to serve you. We’re certified and follow IICRC and industry best practices to meet your needs. We do the job right the first time. 

We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergency services. You can contact us online or give us a call at (208) 377-1877 if you need emergency help. If you suspect you have water damage in your home, don’t wait until the problem becomes worse. Get in touch with us today!