STEPS WE TAKE TOWARD EMERGENCY WATER DAMAGE RESTORATION

STEP #1-The Restoration Process

The restoration process begins when you call us. White’s Fire Smoke and Water Damage Restoration is available 24 hours a day for water emergencies, large or small. When you are dealing with water damage, immediate action is crucial. Even a delay of a few hours can greatly increase the severity of the water damage.

Water damage can be chaotic and even traumatic. When you call us, we understand you may be feeling confused, stressed, and vulnerable. You need an expert to guide you through this crisis. White’s Restoration has the specific water damage training and experience to help you through this tough time. We specialize in water damage restoration—in fact, it’s the cornerstone of our business.

What to Expect
When you call, we will ask several questions regarding your water damage emergency. These questions will help us determine what equipment and resources to bring, including how many trained White’s Restoration professional team members may be needed.

The White’s Restoration Team member will ask several questions:

• Your name and contact information
• Your insurance information (if applicable)
• The street address of the water-damaged home or business
• When did the flooding or water damage occur?
• What caused the water damage (if known)?
• Is there electricity available (on-site)?
• How many rooms are affected (if known)?

Step #2- Inspection and Damage Assessment

When responding to a water damage emergency, we begin with a detailed inspection of your home or property, including a damage assessment. At this stage, our professionals are trying to determine the scope of the damage so that we can develop an appropriate plan of action.

Identify and Stop the Water Source
We will check for the source of moisture in your home or business. The source must be stopped before any restoration or drying of the building can be successful. After we find the issue, we will stop the source, check for contaminated water/contamination Level and identify the type of water.

We will then identify the category and classification of water damage to ensure our professionals restore your property based on industry guidelines. The level of contamination of the water will affect the specific restoration processes we use.

• Category 1: “Clean Water”
• Category 2: “Gray Water”
• Category 3: “Black Water”

White’s will then survey the extent of the water damage and inspect the premises. We inspect and test to determine the extent of damage and how far the moisture has traveled to ensure proper and complete restoration. In addition, we will inspect for safety concerns that may be evident. If there are any safety issues like lead or asbestos, please bring them to our attention

Move or Block Furniture
Last but not least, we will move any furniture, property contents or block items to help prevent rust or furniture stains on wet carpet.

Step #3 Water Removal/Water Extraction

After the inspection and damage assessment step, the water extraction process begins. This step removes the majority of the water. We use powerful pumps and truck-mounted vacuum units to quickly remove hundreds or thousands of gallons of water from your property.

Move-Out / Pack-Out
If your home requires extensive restoration or cleaning, White’s Restoration can conduct an organized, efficient move-out to protect your belongings from further damage

Emergency Water Removal
Our highly trained technicians will begin the water removal process almost immediately. Depending on the amount of water, we may use powerful submersible pumps in addition to industrial strength, wet/dry vacuums. Removing most of the water helps reduce drying time and helps prevent secondary water damage and mold and bacterial growth.

Inspect the Carpet Pad and Carpet
We inspect the carpet and pad and determine if they should be removed to prevent further damage and or protect the subfloor.

Water Removal Equipment

• Moisture detection meters, hygrometers, and other meters measure the extent of moisture saturation.
• Infrared cameras may be used to find “hidden” water behind walls and ceilings.
• Submersible and gas-powered pumps are used for continuous pumping of high-level water.
• Truck-mounted and portable extraction units perform efficient water removal.

Step #4 Drying and Dehumidification Process

Once the excess water has been removed, the floors and walls may appear dry, but a quick inspection will reveal they are wet to the touch. Nearly all building materials, like wood, drywall, and flooring materials, are porous and therefore retain water. This retained water can cause the materials to break down, warp, or cause mold damage.

Drying / Dehumidification
Our Professionals will use room measurements, temperature, and relative humidity to determine the optimal number of air movers and dehumidifiers to dry your home or business. We’ll carefully monitor the progress daily using moisture meters until the materials return to acceptable drying goals

Monitor Floor and Walls
We check the moisture levels daily to monitor the drying process.

Drying Equipment
Industrial-grade dehumidifiers help prevent secondary water damage like swelling and warping of floors, walls, and furniture.
High-speed air movers create airflow across walls, carpets, pads, and furniture, which accelerates the evaporation of moisture.

#5 Cleaning and Sanitizing

Your walls, flooring, and ceiling will most likely require professional cleaning services. In addition to cleaning your property’s structure, we will clean your furniture, upholstery, clothing, and other restorable belongings damaged by the water. Most flooding and water damage also require professional odor removal and deodorization since wet materials have a very distinct odor.

Contents Restoration
White’s Fire Smoke and Water Damage Restoration specializes in restoring contents damaged by fire, water, or mold. Our expertise and “restore” versus “replace” mentality can help you save money while preserving precious keepsakes that can’t be replaced.

Odor Removal and Deodorization
We are trained to identify and eliminate offensive odors. Our technical expertise and industrial grade air scrubbers and fogging equipment go well beyond simply masking odors and other shortcuts that don’t work when your odor problem is serious or persistent.

Sanitizing Treatments
Depending on the scenario, we may use antimicrobial, antibacterial, or disinfectant treatments to clean your property.

Disposal
We will remove and dispose of damaged materials with guidance from you and your insurance adjuster.

Step #6 Restoration

Restoration, the final step, is the process of restoring your home or business to its pre-water damage condition. Restoration may involve minor repairs, such as replacing drywall and installing new carpet, or may entail major repairs, such as the reconstruction of various areas or rooms in a home or business.

Emergency Building Services
When your home has been damaged by a storm or water, the immediate concern may include temporary protective measures to prevent additional damages, like placing a roof tarp.

Repairs and Minor Building Services
The following building and repair services may be necessary to restore your home to pre-water damage condition.

• Drywall Removal and Installation
• Hardwood Floor Repair
• Tile Floor Repair
• Painting
• Carpet Repair and Installation
• Building Services and Reconstruction

White’s Fire Smoke and Water Damage Restoration can simplify the restoration process by handling both the initial water damage mitigation and rebuilding the affected areas. Having one qualified company for the entire process can save time and keep costs low. We can provide this continuity by supervising a full range of restoration services that will bring the building back to full functionality.