Dealing With Damage From A Pipe Break In Your Home
Water pipes running in the walls, floor, and ceiling of your home are not typically something you think about. In most cases, the water flows through those pipes for years, but if you have a pipe break in your home, the water damage restoration required can be extensive if the damage is severe enough.
Assessing The Damage
There are several kinds of damage you will have to deal with after a significant pipe break in your home. The first is damage from the water flowing freely behind the wall. The second is the damage done to the wall to open up the space and make repairs.
The plumber needs to get to the pipe to fix the break, but that typically means cutting out sections of the sheetrock. In the case of a pipe break, the sheetrock is already going to need replacing by your water damage restoration contractor, but if there are other areas the plumber needs to reach, the potential for damage somewhere near the break is there.
Determining how much damage your home has after the water break and the plumbing repair is sometimes challenging and may require a professional estimate. Take pictures of the damage before you have any repairs, so you can use that to help the insurance company assess the damage for your claim.
Water Damage Restoration Services
One way to deal with the water damage in your home is to call a water damage restoration service and have them assess the damage for you. Areas that are wet for a few days can start to grow mold and mildew, so the restoration company will spray all the wet areas with fungicide and preventative chemicals to ensure mold doesn't start growing in your home after the repair is complete.
To fix the damaged area, the contractor may need to remove a significant amount of material. When the repair is complete, you may have difficulty picking out the damaged areas on the wall, floor, or ceiling. If the damage is significant in size, the water damage restoration contractor may need to do more demolition to get all the wet materials out of the house.
The longer the water sits on materials, the more damage it will do. The best idea is to call a clean-up company the same day and have them remove the water right away. While some damage will still occur, removing the water right away will limit the damage and make restoration easier. If you have a wet/dry vac, you can start picking up water while you are waiting for the water damage restoration service to arrive and remove the water from the home.
