LOOKING FOR THE BEST EMERGENCY WATER CLEANUP COMPANY?
Has your home or business been assualted by unexpected water damage? Acting swiftly can minimize damage and eliminate worries about lingering moisture, and associated mold damage. Don’t let a water inundation from a floor drain or broken pipe wreak havoc on your valued property – don’t allow flood damage to effect the value of your home. Acting fast to contact an emergency water cleanup company is in your best interest. Each hour water is allowed to languish on flooring, walls and related materials the more damage is produced.
CHOOSING TO DO THE CLEANUP OF WATER YOURSELF may seem like an exceptable option when only a small area of carpet may have become wet, however, a completely flooded basement is going to need a professional water cleanup company. Some earnest individuals will even attempt to remedy a sewer backup when it is much safer to contact a professional water rcleanup company. The professional restorer knows safety protocols and has the most efficiaet resources and products to navigate the restoration process to completion. Often carpet needs removal and other items such as furniture will require restoration services that only the experts are suited to provide.
Action Extraction of Macomb County once was called out to evaluate a flooded basement that had its water source come directly from a sewer drain. The potential customer actually remarked on how they were considering doing the waste water cleanup themselves, but were too busy. What was actually present in the aftermath of this horrific water inundation was much more than just carpet needing water removal service. The basement was an actual infestation of germs and solids that can only be described as a water damage apocalypse the likes of which would make most mortals bristle with fear.
The waste water with its horrid smells had migrated from a floor drain to reach all basement flooring throughout. Most grimace at the sight of human feces and used toilet paper remnants, but this customer almost seemed dissaponted they were too busy to do the water cleanup themselves. What a trooper. One has to give credit to those in life eager and willing to give a noble effort to press on, when most would flee in haste.
Do You Need An Emergency Water Cleanup Company?
If your home is in a flood damaged condition with water presently on flooring where drywall and other building materials are wet? Homes and businesses with water on flooring, drywall, and personal belongings need to be managed quickly and if this is your situation, you are encouraged to contact an emergency water cleanup firm ASAP. Professional restoration companies provide emergency restoration services 24/7 and are always the best option when making an insurance claim for the water loss. They know how to prepare the appropriate documents to smoothly navigate the claims process and get you your money fast.
The Professional Water Cleanup Perspective Matters
The perspective of the average property owner stumbling into a flooded basement or a room where the ceiling is dripping with heavy water is vastly different than that of a professional water cleanup contractor. They too would easily notice with the naked eye the same damage, but their experience will look for additional signs that suggest the true scope of damage.
They may see the wood base moldings are badly stained, detaching from walls and showing mold growth. The cellulose materials that are replete throughout the water damaged environment such as paper and boxes may as well be showing mold growth. They will evaluate the exterior walls for moisture retention that often leads to mold growth and water staining. Lastly the smell of the environment is able to indicate the length of time materials have remained wet. In many cases the indoor air requires immediate air filtration to keep the occupants safe. Skills such as these can only come from years of experience and continuing education. Both of these are important in finding the best restoration firm in your area. Lets go through several steps to finding the best emergency water cleanup company with the best skills.
Step 1. Locate a Highly Rated Flood Cleanup Company
Usually the search for a water restoration company begins with the use of a computer or mobile device. The frenzied property owner might type into a google search bar the words, “flood cleanup company near me” and wait to see what comes up. After sifting through the crop of water restoration company options, they hope to find one that instills a measure of confidence.
Finding the companies with the highest rating for customer service on multiple social media platforms is a great way to sift throught he options. You are best to consider the highest rated companies that have a proven record for customer service. Reputable water cleanup companies and for that matter any good service company is not difficult to find today when so many reviews are plentiful online from previous customers. People share their experience to alert you of the bad companies to avoid and encourage you of the good ones to consider. Action Extraction of Macomb is abundantly thankful for each of our satisfied clients that found time to graciously recommend our services.
Step 2. Take Advantage of a Free Evaluation
Most reputable restoration companies offer a free inspection of your property allowing you to see if they are professional and worthy of being hired. The wise adage; “you never get a second chance to make a first impression,” really applies here. If their first impression is one of a clumsy technician pulling up in a rusted out vehical who seems confused as to how to earn your trust, you probaly just saved yourself a nightmare. If they are courteous, well groomed and uniformed, that speaks of a degree of professionalism that may be suited to you. If they additionally have an impressive vocabulary identifying them as a specialist, that too can instill confidence. This is why the free evaluation is so critical, it allows customers to vet companies before hiring them. This is an important step in finding the best emergency water cleanup company.
The vehicle they pull up in is another way to determine professionalism on the part of the prospective restoration company. Their restoration vehicle should be lettered with the company name, look presentable and be filled with the necessary tools to restore any water damage scenario imaginable. If they satisfy this beginning check list, then this is a great start.
Step 3. Moisture Detection Equipment Must Be Present During The Evaluation.
The naked eye cannot peer into building materials and actually identify the presence of water. Some affected drywall may have elevated moisture content as high as 20% and the naked eye would never know. Any free inspection of property will be deficient if a moisture detection meter is not a part of the initial evaluation. Trapped moisture in building materials is the #1 reason mold growth occurs in homes. Left unmanaged moisture will produce mold growth and other harmful microorganisms, that can only be eliminated, if moisture is first discovered.
The emergency water restoration industry has a technical name for what they do. It is called psychrometry. Psychrometrics is a field of engineering concerned with the physical and thermodynamic properties of gas-vapor mixtures. Definitely a bit confusing and deeper than most restorers even grasp, but putting it in layman’s terms means: the art and science of drying wet materials.
This begins with advanced moisture detection meters and scientific instruments that can detect the presence of water in materials that need drying service. The inspection is incomplete without these essential tools. How will the restorer know which materials are affectred by moisture and which are not? The technician that arrives for the free evaluation must have moisture detection meters with him or don’t hire them. How will they know if you have a wet kitchen floor if they don’t have a tool that peers beneath the surface. The same with drywall, if they don’t know sewer water absorbed in it, then they will neglect removing wet drywall during flood cleanup.
What To Expect During the Free Inspection
Once they are brought to the damage site, they should be as natural as an English Springer Spaniel going after a bird. They need no instruction and they will not be influenced by false information they may have heard about your emergency project. If they were falsely told the water source was a broken water pipe but find evidence more plausibly suggesting a sewer backup, they should be able to clarify and convince with the evidence found.
There evaluation should be on bended knee as a penitent churchgoer, checking all dry wall, base molding and cabinetry in the area related to the water damage size footprint. The moisture detection instruments will give an empirical measurement of the moisture’s presence along with its percentage in each material tested. The results of each material will determine the protocol for cleanup and steps required to mitigate the property.
There should be two different moisture meters that are employed by the professional restorer to ascertain a comprehensive understanding of your water damage. Each has its own unique advantages and will give an accurate report of each material appraised. There are basic differences and each meter is designed for a different application. What are these 2 moisture detection meters?
1. Penetrating Moisture Meter
This meter has two sharp pins that when pressed into a materials will give a moisture reading of only the area it touches. If for example you touch it to a wood surface and it reads 15% moisture presence that accounts for only the superficial area you pressed into. The moisture content a bit deeper may show a much higher level of moisture requiring a meter that shoots a signal deeper into materials.
Penetrating meter for water cleanupThese particular meters are great for determining the water presence in base molding, wood flooring and carpet pad. They are useless for determining the moisture on the backside of drywall or level of moisture trapped in oak wood flooring or ceramic tile.
Unfortunately insurance adjusters will purposely use a penetrating moisture meter often to prove to you that your drywall, ceramic tile and sub floors are dry when in reality they are very wet. This meter is not designed for those materials and will give a false moisture measurement. This is exactly what an unscrupulous adjuster wants because if they can convince you there is no reason to perform additional drying service, they save the insurance company money.
Regrettably the intentional misuse of moisture detection devices is not just a scheme insurance adjusters can use to manipulate to their advantage, there exist those in the professional restoration industry as well.
If an unscrupulous restorer has attempted to dry wet materials in an allotted time that was quoted and still everything is just as wet as day one, they may purposely deceive you so they can pull out their drying equipment and get to the next job. Often this can be done by doing a switch-a-roo, to quote the urban dictionary.
Here’s how it is done. If when evaluating the progress of a drying protocol it is discovered to have failed, a crooked tech can use an incorrect meter to cajole you into thinking all is dry. They may place the pins of a penetrating moisture probe onto the surface of the oak wood flooring and show a reading of 7% explaining the target drying goal has been achieved. This may be true of the surface but will require a different moisture detection meter to actually reveal the moisture content in the core of a material. It could very well be higher than 20% which would leave you with an incomplete dry down and hidden dangers.
In these situations the professionals will be required to use an electronic device called a non-penetrating moisture meter. This meter is designed for giving accurate moisture content readings on hard wood flooring, ceramic tile, dry wall and wood sub floors.
2. Non-Penetrating Moisture Meter
This device does not have sharp pins that puncture the surface of a material to determine moisture percentages, hence the name, “non-penetrating.” These scientific gadgets are a tremendous tool for getting results without injury to the material. They work by shooting electromagnetic signals through the use of sensor pads that are placed on the surface of a material. The readings are accurate up to 1.5” into the material and will give true core values on water presence. No emergency water cleanup company worth their salt would neglect to have one of these on their person during the evaluation process.
These meters are an indispensable tool for knowing where hidden water may be trapped and how much of it is present. Without this information a drying protocol could never be devised and enacted, leaving property to the subjectivity of human error.
Can a dishonest insurance adjuster or a professional without conscience misuse this meter for means of deception and money making and/or savings? Unfortunately the answer is in the affirmative and is a resounding, absolutely!
Let take for instance an area of carpet in the basement that has saturated pad but the carpet feels dry to the touch. If the wet pad has a plastic sheath over it, a non-penetrating moisture meter will not give a reading of wetness. The meter electromagnetic signals will not detect the water often beneath the pad because there is too much air space from the dry carpet tuff to its dry base. In such a scenario one could be deceived into believing there is no water in the pad. Indeed if the penetrating moisture meter were to be firmly placed to puncture the plastic top layer of the pad it would sink into the watery cushion and clearly identify drying or removal is necessary.
Step 4. The Water Cleanup Procedure Is Explained
At this point the experienced professional has done their meticulous evaluation using impressive cutting edge tools for identifying the damages. Now it’s time to hear their assessment and what they have discovered as this will determine the water cleanup method and cost for restoration. Merely saying “it’s wet and needs to be dried up” does not cut the mustard so to speak. Up till this point they have been spot on and professional if they have covered all the bases as I have highlighted. Let’s hope they are equally thorough on giving the detailed explanation of their findings and their approach to the water cleanup process you have been patiently waiting for.
They should start out with what items are wet and give detailed instructions as to how they will go about mitigating your property, bringing it back to safe pre-flood condition. This will vary greatly because there are different types of water damage and based upon the nature of the one you are facing will determine the steps for recovery.
It would be impressive if they sited regularly from the IICRC S-500 publication for water restoration as this is the Bible in the restoration industry. When you know the restorers are well versed in the standards of the industry this can really give you the sense of confidence in their capabilities. With such assurance may come as well the peace of mind most property owners hope to feel when hiring a professional emergency water cleanup company.
Step 5. Before Signing The Work Authorization
At this stage things couldn’t go better, they arrived demonstrating professionalism, respected your property covering their shoes, have employed the tools of the trade to guide the assessment and you are ready to sign the necessary paperwork to hire them and get things started.
One last detail that can be the difference in seeing a licensed doctor and one that is not, credentials. You must ask to see several important documents to confirm your intuition that these are the ones.
Proof Of Insurance
You should not entertain any service company doing business in your home unless they have seen an up-to-date proof of insurance policy with a limit of at least 1 million dollars. If they do not produce one tangibly or show one in a Dropbox folder or the like, ask them to contact their office and send one via email. Without proof of insurance you are placing you, your family and property at risk.
As owner myself of an emergency water cleanup company of over 35 years, all our tech’s have proof of insurance with them at all times. I can tell you confidently, you are at great risk as I have personally witnessed unspeakable damage that professional restoration companies have done. Sometimes it is accidental, other times it is inexperience or worse, gross negligence. Don’t let this happen to you, because when and if Murphy’s Law shows up, it is you more than likely who will foot the bill for their mistakes.
Mistakes like removing structural drying equipment before all moisture is eliminated and you end up getting mold damage. Mistakes like neglecting to discover trapped water in a floor that eventually warps and creeks with each step. These potential hazards will haunt you when there is no proof of insurance and we have seen these type nightmares manifest more than we can count.
IICRC Certification In Water Cleanup
OK you are almost about to sign the work authorization and begin the water restoration service, but there’s one last requisite to cover if you want to place a check mark in each box on the “due diligence checklist”.
Sure they made an impressive entrance, said all the right things and up till now have passed each litmus test. But are they an IICRC certified emergency water cleanup company? This is important as it assures they have earned credentials that make them knowledgeable in the field and in the critical aspects of property recovery. Unless you physically see it, don’t presume as presumption is the Mother of all collapses. In business it is a healthy thing to make certain what otherwise might be taken for granted.
As with the request to see proof of insurance don’t be shy asking for IICRC certified firm credentials. The presence of this document will be all you need to have vetted the prospective restoration company thoroughly. While these important steps are necessasry to select a reputable service company, there is no guarantee nothing will go wrong. However, you have made every intelligent effort to minimize the grief of having incompetent workers in your home and that is priceless.
Consider Action Extraction for your Emergency Water Cleanup Company
If water damage has been discovered in your home, consider calling Action Extraction. We follow the guidelines in this article and have all the credentials to instill confidence in our process. Basement flood cleanup after a sewer drain backup or failed sump pump needs immediate attention and we have a tream of professionals on call 24/7 to provide emergency water cleanup services.
WHY CHOOSE US?
- Rapid Response: The faster to the disaster the better! As an emergency water cleanup company we understand the urgency of 24/7 service. Our team of local restoration professionals are standing ready to act when you call.
- State-of-the-Art Equipment / Scientific technology: Our advanced moisture detection meters, water extraction systems, and structural drying equipment ensure a safe and complete propeorty restoration. We are an IICRC certified restoration firm and give strict detail to doing things right the first time.
- Experience & Education Matters: Water damage restoration is a specialized field where only highly committed companies are going to have 5-star ratings for their commitment to customer satisfaction. Each of our career technicians is thoroughly educated having unique skills and knowledge to serve our customers.
- Insurance Assistance: Homeowners claims for water losses are our specialty. We can document and make the entire process smooth and head-ache free. Our team will help navigate each step forward till you recieve the compensation you deserve.
📞 Call Us Now for Immediate Assistance! 800-713-4333