Severe weather and natural disasters can often strike without warning leaving people little time to prepare. Flash foods especially can come quickly and can be caused by excess rain and overflowing bodies of water. When a flash flood strikes, an entire community can be under several feet of water in an instant. Flash floods cause serious damage and potential health risks.
After a flash flood, it’s important to work with experts for the cleanup to protect yourself and your family. Every water damage company restoration company uses different processes, but after a flood, they all start with water extraction.
What Is Water Extraction and Removal?
Water is extremely damaging and causes damage in hours. For example:
- After 1 Hour: Upholstery and fabric discolor and bleed dye. Paper such as photographs and birth certificates breaks down. Hardwood flooring can start bleeding, warping, and discoloring.
- After 24 Hours: The drywall swells and breaks down. Metal starts to tarnish and rusts. Wood starts to warp. Laminate and linoleum flooring start to loosen and peel.
- After 48 Hours; Mold spores begin to colonize. Doors and window frames warp beyond use. Paint blisters and flakes.
Considering how much damage is done by water in such a short time, the goal after any flooding event is to remove as much water as possible from the home. This is done through a process called water extraction. Water extraction is used to remove water from your home including dangerous water like sewage.
How Does The Water Extraction Process Work?
Water extraction is a highly specialized technique executed by a professional water damage restoration company. Companies like Dry Patrol use professional-grade equipment to remove the water.
Depending on the extent and severity of the flooding, the flood damage cleanup team will use pumps, suction tools, and other water extraction tools to remove all the water. They start by draining and clearing out the areas that have the deepest floodwaters.
Once the water extraction team has removed the bulk of the water. They will begin the process of drying the home. This involves everything from extracting a smaller amount of excess water to using dehumidifiers and fans to dry the rest of the water. Once the water is removed and the home is safe to enter, the flood cleanup team will start with the remediation process.
Why Professional Water Extraction Is Crucial After A Flood
There are several reasons you will want to work with a professional water extraction team after a flood.
The first is that cleaning up a flood is extremely dangerous. Flood water contains all kinds of waste, harmful microbes, and toxic chemicals. You can get very sick and even risk your life entering a flooded home.
Secondly, flood cleanup is almost impossible without the professional tools needed for water extraction.
Finally, professionals have the education and training to recognize hidden dangers after a flood such as mold growth. They’ll make sure that your home is completely safe, not just that the water is removed.
Call Dry Patrol For Professional Water Damage Mitigation
Floods can happen quickly and so can the damage they cause. After a flood, it’s essential that you work with a professional water damage restoration team to lead the water extraction, removal, and cleanup. This will help keep both you and your home safe after this emergency event.
