The Dangers of DIY Water Damage Restoration

Hazards of DIY Water Damage Restoration

Here are just some of the extreme safety and health hazards that put inexperienced disaster cleanup and restoration workers at high risk in flooded residential environments:

• Bacterial exposure: Floodwater is typically filled with bacteria and germs. Even if you wear PPE, you’re still likely to come into contact with dangerous bacteria while cleaning up contaminated water damage for many hours.

Further, attempting water disaster cleanup on your own, you almost certainly will not capture all the bacteria present due to the water disaster. That leaves the organisms free to multiply and increases your family’s long-term exposure to dangerous and even deadly disease-causing bacteria in your home.

• Electrical shock: Water damage in a house creates a pervasive danger of electrocution. There may be faulty electrical wiring in contact with water behind walls and in and around obscured electrical cables and wires in the home. Plus, the possibility of electric shock is vastly increased in disarray and wet conditions of a flood disaster environment.

Accidentally touching or just brushing against an exposed electrical wire or anything with a charge running through it can be deadly. If it is also in contact with water, that broadly expands the charged area to present an extreme risk of electrocution.

• Heavy water-logged items: Water-soaked sofas, mattresses, and other furniture pieces weigh much more than when they were dry. Carrying those heavy, unwieldy objects in a wet, debris-strewn area increases risks of injury from slipping and falling, back strain, wrist or ankle sprain, and other injuries.

Disaster locations are also known for trip hazards everywhere you walk. Restoration specialists ensure that these risks are professionally managed.

• Mold growth: In the aftermath of a water disaster, mold growth presents a serious risk to occupants’ health and the building’s structural safety. DIY water damage cleanup and restoration do not thoroughly eliminate moisture in the most problematic areas behind walls, under floors, sometimes in attics, etc. Then, dangerous mold flourishes in these moist conditions.
• Structural weaknesses: Trying to repair a water-damaged house presents many dangers, including a significantly weaker support structure overhead and around and under you. Roofs, walls, and floors can easily collapse after exposure to flooding.

Professional Water Damage Restoration

Why is having a professional disaster restoration service so much better, faster, safer, and ultimately cheaper? First, with homeowner’s insurance, it’s typically less expensive to let your insurance company cover the water damage cleanup cost and restoration minus your deductible than to pay for cleanup and replace ruined structural components and personal property out-of-pocket. And, of course, the cleanup and restoration quality, speed of completion, and safety on the restoration site are all superior when professionals are managing the work. Why?

• Commercial equipment is designed for in-depth cleaning and structural restoration.
• Experienced disaster professionals produce top-quality restoration.
• Professionals know how to complete all the work quickly to get you back to your daily life.

If You Have a Water Disaster At Your Home

It may appear that you can save money by undertaking water damage cleanup and restoration yourself. But, in reality, you are more likely to cause yourself additional property damage, including structural issues due to improper drying for mold prevention.

If your home is flooded, you need help from a professional water damage restoration company, like Utah Flood Cleanup. You’ll find that you’ll cut the cleanup and restoration time to a fraction, increase the quality of workmanship many times over, and eliminate your risk of injuries to yourself and your helpers.

Why Choose Utah Flood Cleanup?

We are a Utah disaster restoration company specializing in FLOOD, FIRE, and MOLD cleanup and restoration. Our team provides 24/7 emergency service with just a 1-hour response time.

Utah Flood Cleanup works for you, not your insurance company. We are your advocate with your insurer, ensuring that everything that should be covered is included and that all work is done to the highest industry standards and in strict adherence to IICRC S-500 and S-520.

For emergency water disaster cleanup and an estimate for restoration of insurance-covered damage, call Utah Flood Cleanup in your area at (801) 416-2666, or contact us online anytime!

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