Difference Between Water Damage Restoration & Mitigation Services
Water damage can immediately impact your home without a moment’s notice. Water damage does not come with a warning, which is why this is something that you can never be truly prepared for. For instance, the pipe leaking in your basement can cause a flood in the area while you are out partying and vacationing with friends in the holiday season. Water damage almost always calls for water damage restoration and water damage mitigation.
Similarly, your dishwasher can suffer from leaks all of a sudden and spill water over your hardwood flooring in the kitchen, as you are sound asleep in the morning. The next morning you wake up to splashes around the hardwood floor and water damage that you had no idea of.
Regardless of whether you are expecting them or not, there are many areas where you may need a water damage restoration or a water damage mitigation team. To know what both these services have to offer, you need to first know what is meant by both these terms.
In this article, we take a look at water damage mitigation and water damage restoration services and help educate you of the difference between these two. Stay with us as we take a closer look at both and build a solid understanding.
What is Water Damage Mitigation?
Water damage mitigation is the first step after suffering from water damage inside your home. The mitigation services will put an end to the water damage and make sure that not many items inside your home are damaged due to the process of water damage.
The water damage mitigation process involves the use of many qualified services and equipment to reduce the loss you have suffered. The process includes the following steps:
- The cleaning and disinfecting of all salvageable materials after the water has done its damage.
- Extraction of water from inside the home and the basement through the use of top-quality extraction materials.
- Removing all damaged materials and furniture from home, including flooring and drywall.
- Ensuring the stability of the structure and making sure that it hasn’t been harmed in any way.
- Protecting the appliances and the structural additions in the structure, including windows and doors.
It is extremely important here to realize and understand that water damage mitigation services are in no way meant to help restore the damage inflicted on your property by the water. The sole purpose of these services is to help make sure that the damage is limited and does not go on to run any more damage. The surface provides a temporary solution, which is restricted to disaster management rather than complete recovery.
What is Water Damage Restoration?
Water damage restoration is an extensive process that is focused on repairing the damage caused by the water and restoring your home to its original condition. Water damage restoration services come to the picture after the initial water mitigation services are taken care of. The water restoration process will focus on rebuilding and reconstructing the home through multiple applications and processes.
The water damage restoration process actually handles the recovery from the damage suffered during the water damage and brings things back to normal. The process will study the extent of the damage and then reach a consensus on what needs to be done to rectify the water damage.
The restoration service will typically include the following:
- Repairing all damages to the roof
- Replacing all damaged flooring and walls with new additions
- Eliminating signs of mold from the area.
- Restoring the home back to its original condition
- Conducting humidity and moisture tests
Difference Between Water Mitigation & Restoration
While the descriptions above are enough to give you an idea of the difference between disaster mitigation and restoration, we will look at them in greater detail below:
Mitigation and Restoration Have Different Purposes
Both water damage mitigation and water damage restoration tend to have different purposes. Water damage mitigation sets out to achieve the primary purpose of limiting the water damage you have suffered inside your home due to a water leak or whatnot. The mitigation services are performed on an emergency basis.
On the contrary, restoration services set out to bring the home back to its original condition. Restoration services are more elaborate in nature and set out to improve the structure of the home and bring it back to normal.
Water Restoration is a Long term Process
Unlike water damage mitigation services, water damage restoration can be a long-term process. Restoration efforts require a lot of time and can often take months to complete. Professionals working on the restoration process can only begin work on it after mitigating water damage and minimizing risks. Restoration from the process will take time, based on the extent of the damage.
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