So you find yourself with a broken pipe, a heavy storm, a flood, a basement backup — the list of reasons you could end up with water damage in your home is long and mostly catastrophic. The water needs to be removed, the damage needs assessed, and then everything needs to be cleaned, repaired, or replaced so that damage doesn’t turn into dangerous mold and cause more serious issues.
So, who are you going to call? If you’ve got water damage, though, you need a professional— but which one?
The short answer is that you may need more than one, and that will depend on what’s going on. Keep reading to learn more.
The Plumber
Is your water damage due to a plumbing problem? Such as a broken pipe, a backed up sewer line or a rotted-out hot water tank that flooded the basement? Is the water still running and you can’t turn it off? You’ll want to find a plumbing professional that can address the issue and put and end to further damage further damage.
The Restoration Crew
Ultimately, you’re going to want to call a water damage restoration service to get a proper water damage assessment and see what’s going on. While the plumber and your city or municipality might be able to offer assistance, they’re not the ones that can look at the damage, determine what’s salvageable and what’s not, and help you figure out the best course of action to clean up the mess.
Hiring a professional water damage restoration company will likely also be the recommendation of your home insurance provider if you involve them in the process as part of an insurance claim. Always choose a reputable water damage restoration service that has experience in all areas of cleanup and restoration, including providing assessments and helpful advice.
Even if you’re just dealing with a little leak in the ceiling that caused some damage, you still need to make sure that you have the right people cleaning up the job. The damage needs to be removed or cleared entirely or it could lead to mold growth. Plus, if there is already mold present, the pros will identify it and make sure that it’s removed safely so that no one is put at risk.
Although there are several people you should call if you have a water damage issue, depending on what happened, your best (and first) call will always be to a water damage restoration service like the professional team at Clarke Contractors Inc.
The Insurance Company
You’ll want to call your homeowners insurance agent and make sure that you know what damage is covered. Be sure to ask about their process and how they are going to take care of things. Ask if they will send their own adjuster out to survey the damage and see how bad the flood is to determine reimbursement costs or coverage approval. Some may not cover all water damage and flooding issues, so you may be required to pay for some or all costs out of your pocket.