The Most Commonly Damaged Items in a Flood (And How We Fix Them)
Simply put, water is the enemy of modern homes, businesses, and structures. We build with the expectation that water will stay on the outside and that everything inside will be well insulated against the elements. But what can be done for your building and belongings in the event of water damage? What can be saved and how can we save it?
Flood Damage Can Affect Anything & Everything
As an IICRC-certified firm, Guardian Recovery Services has seen water damage affect everything from Italian leather sofas and heirloom cabinets to office furniture and IT management systems. While not everything can be saved after water damage, we do our best throughout Ferndale, MI, to save everything we can.
If your home or business has suffered water damage, fire damage, mold damage, or storm damage, call us today at (248) 965-5914. In the meantime, here are the most commonly damaged structural components and property that we save through a combination of expertise and the latest contents cleaning technology.
Most Commonly Water Damaged Structural & Personal Items
And How Guardian Recovery Salvages Them
Carpets & Rugs
For obvious reasons, plush and absorbent materials are at greater risk of water damage. But that same risk has inspired innovation in water damage remediation methods. At Guardian Recovery Services, we use a 350hp, V8 engine to drive our water extraction units. With that much umph, we can achieve the same suction on the 5th floor as we can on the 1st.
By maintaining forceful extraction, our water removal process is as ideal for apartment complexes and office parks as it is for single family homes. Once the water has been pulled from your carpets, we bring in dehumidifiers and air movers to speed the process further along. We have a separate process for precious or antique rugs that’s both effective and gentle.
Not all carpets and rugs can be saved, but we’ll do our absolute best to reverse the damage, limit the chances for mold, and get you back to your life and business.
Slabs & Foundations
You might not think that a burst pipe or slow, constant leak could move the very foundation beneath your feet. Sadly, it’s all too easy for water—especially flood water—to shift, split, tilt, or otherwise compromise the concrete on which your building sits. In the event of water damage, time is of the essence. The more time water has to work its way into and around your foundation, the more at-risk your structure becomes.
To combat threats to your foundation, Guardian Recovery relies on IICRC standards, including time-tested methods for manipulating temperature and controlling relative humidity. These measures arrest damage while our specialized equipment pumps water from the lower levels or basement. Afterward, dehumidifiers and air movers bring the process across the finish line, giving your slab and your structure a fighting chance.
Furnishings
Different furnishings survive water damage at different rates, depending on the materials in question and how sensitive they are. Finely tuned electronics, for instance, may survive moisture, but certainly not soaking water. Upholstered furnishings, similarly, can be salvaged through expert contents cleaning, drying, and treating, but only if they’ve been grazed by water rather than completely inundated.
When you call Guardian Recovery, we’ll start by removing your contents from your residence or office. Once outside, we’ll examine your belongings piece by piece, drying and treating what can be saved or documenting and discarding what can’t.
No matter how much you paid for your mid-century modern table or vintage, calf-leather recliner, your insurance provider may lowball your ultimate reimbursement. Guardian Recovery will advocate vigorously on your behalf to get you the funds you need to put it all back just as it was. We don’t work for the insurance companies. We work for you.
What Can’t Be Saved
Disasters can be sobering affairs. Sadly, not everything can be saved. But knowing what shouldn’t be saved is every bit as important as saving what can. Mold damage can spread rapidly on belongings and structural components, endangering your family, residents, or employees. To avoid mold remediation, quick action is necessary. When in doubt, throw it out.
Generally speaking, the following items will need to be discarded for your and your structure’s safety.
- Mattresses (in some cases)
- Pillows
- Some affected drywall
- Some textiles
- Affected books/documents
- Affected clothing
- Food items
- Some appliances
- Anything at all affected by sewage
- Affected medicine
Save the Most & Discard the Least with Guardian
Throughout the emergency response, drying, and restoration processes, Guardian Recovery will work with you to determine what can and can’t be saved. We’ll document everything and stay in constant communication with you so that you know where your structure and belongings stand. Afterward, we’ll stay by your side until your insurance company pays you what you deserve. As your partner in recovery, Guardian will stay with you until the job is done.
To learn more about our water damage restoration process, or for help today, call (248) 965-5914.
Let Us Save What We Can & Get You The Money To Replace the Rest
Your monthly insurance premiums DO NOT represent your provider’s willingness to pay for lost belongings and structural damages in full. In fact, when you report water damage to your insurance provider, they’ll launch into a rapid response mode of their own, doing everything they can to urge you toward a payment that’s agreeable to them. At Guardian Recovery Services, we’ll save what we can and fight for compensation—no matter how much you paid for your Italian sofa or modular desk system. Call us today at (248) 965-5914!