Unfortunately, every homeowner and business owner has experienced the harsh effects of rest one way or another. What’s worse, water damage can also bring negative consequences to the health of those that occupy the space. For one, it increases your property’s susceptibility to mold, which doesn’t really bode well for you and your family or employees. Additionally, water may ruin important documents and even your furniture.
Regardless of the source of water damage, whether a flood and flood check for 20 years might not work or a broken pipe, it’s safe to say that the effect is devastating. Fortunately, experiencing water damage isn’t the end of everything. Nowadays, one can simply go to a contractor’s site, like https://rescueclean911.com/, and book their services to address any related concerns.
Once you’re in contact with a professional, you may be asked whether you want water damage restoration or repair. But what’s the difference between the two? This article aims to give you a brief comparison between these two crucial terms.
What is water damage?
Before delving into the difference between water damage restoration and repair, it’s first important to know what constitutes water damage in the first place. Essentially, this problem is classified into three categories:
- First category: This water damage category usually originates from sanitary sources, like sprinklers or broken pipelines. Hence, the water damaging your property won’t be a danger even if it gets in contact with your skin.
- Second category: Unlike the first category, the second one already contains water that has significant contamination, potentially causing discomfort or, worse, pain when consumed by humans or animals. The second category is characterized as such when there are already microorganisms present in the water, such as seepage from bathroom pipes, punctured storage tanks, and diluted urine.
- Third category: Out of the three categories, this is the most dangerous as the water already contains harmful toxigenic and pathogenic agents. This is also labeled as ‘black’ water, which can already be deadly and destructive to both people and properties.
The importance of knowing these categories lies in the fact that even though your house or property is inflicted with the first category, it’s still best to act quickly. This is because, if left unattended, even the first category can turn into the third one, especially if it’s in a warm, wet, and enclosed area, which is considered the best breeding ground for pathogens.
With this said, as soon as you spot stagnant water, even if it’s still in the first category, don’t hesitate to call the professionals, like the ones you can see in this video:
Difference between water damage restoration and repair
As you notice the first evidence of water damage, and you already decided to call in the professionals, you may be confused about what service to avail. Usually, water damage can be resolved through restoration and repair.
Here’s the difference between the two:
- Water damage repair
Also commonly known as water damage mitigation, water damage repair is the act of preventing water from further destroying your properties. So, this process involves using pieces of equipment and techniques to minimize loss.
Here are some common practices involved in water damage repair:
- Removing damaged properties to stop the growth of mold.
- Disinfecting materials that can still be salvaged.
- Assessing the home’s stability.
- Removing the water.
This being said, when you avail of water damage repair from reputable companies, like Rescue Clean 911, experts would first inspect the area so that they can assess the seriousness of the situation. They might take note of the source of the water, then remove the puddle. They might also shut off your water source so they can come up with a plan to extract any stagnant water.
- Water damage restoration
As the name implies, water damage restoration aims to restore or repair the after-effects of water damage. After conducting the water damage repair process, and notice that your property is heavily damaged by the water, then you can now focus on rebuilding your home. Thus, you can say that water damage restoration aids homeowners like you in recovering from water damage. You can get help from water damage restoration services in Franklin, TN who are great in their services and are reliable.
Restoring your home after water damage may depend on the damage’s extent. Still, water damage restoration companies usually conduct the following:
- Eliminate any signs of mold.
- Repair the roof and walls.
- Test the humidity and moisture levels to prevent mold from developing in the first place.
Final words
This being said, the purpose of water damage repair, even if it’s called as such, isn’t geared towards repairing nor replacing any damaged property. Instead, the main goal is to ‘mitigate’ water damage from worsening.
This is why it’s always performed prior to restoring your property. On the other hand, water damage restoration mainly revolves around repairing your home due to water damage.
Do note that both services may be offered separately, but most companies would advise conducting both. This is to ensure that your home or property is habitable and safe after the devastating situation.
