Disasters are devastating for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is witnessing the damage that they can cause your home. 

Watching the rising waters of a flood enter from under the door or witnessing flames engulf the place you love is a traumatizing experience to face, especially when you believe your beloved abode is done for—luckily, this may not be the case; there may be hope for your home.

Companies such as this restoration company in Loveland are more than happy to help return your home to a livable state through various services. What these services are and how they work is the subject of this article so that you understand what to expect when hiring one of these companies. Hopefully, this will make recovering from the disaster you’ve faced a little bit easier.

What are Restoration Services?

Restoration services, sometimes called disaster restoration services, are services that are offered by people who’ve been trained to restore your home to what it was before the disaster. While some are specific and focus on one type of damage, such as water damage, others are more varied and may offer multiple different types of services. 

Depending on what caused your damage, it may be wise to hire a company that offers multiple types of restoration. For example, a fire damage restoration company may also provide services for smoke damage, or a water damage company may be able to perform mold remediation in your home.

You may need to contact someone who offers these services for a variety of reasons, from a major disaster such as a flood or earthquake to a pipe bursting. Even if you have yet to encounter such a catastrophe, it’s important to know what services are out there so you’re prepared for when disaster does decide to strike. We’ll begin by covering water damage.

How do Water Damage Restorations Work?

An important thing to note about water damage restoration is the difference between it and water mitigation. Water mitigation is all about preventing water from causing damage, whereas water damage restoration is all about repairing the damage caused by water. While both tend to be utilized, sometimes at the same time, they are two different things.

During a water damage restoration project, old and wet materials are removed and disposed of and are replaced with new, clean ones, which may mean that walls are ripped open and removed, insulation is replaced, and more, depending on what damage there was. It isn’t uncommon for standing water to be found in these projects, especially after a flood, which is why water mitigation is an important part of the process. 

Another important thing to note is that sometimes, water damage restoration services won't be working primarily on the ground; they may decide to work on the roof as well, especially if a storm with high winds or damaging hail causes your problems.

What is Mold Remediation?

Mold remediation is when a team of professionals arrives to test and remove not only the objects with visible mold, but also any that may have been affected by it in ways you may not immediately see. 

For example, let’s say you found mold near the sink in the kitchen. The restoration company would begin their work by laying down plastic sheets throughout the home in a path that leads to the kitchen. Then, they would start to remove the affected surroundings. 

You may lose pieces of the wall, drywall, insulation, or even cabinets based on how far it has spread. While you may have expected this, what you may not have anticipated is the removal of any nearby kitchen towels. Yes, porous objects are easily affected by mold, and many are unsalvageable as the spores can hide away in the pores outside the reach of cleaning supplies. Cloth-covered furniture, clothing, and even items such as dirty plastics may need to be tossed. 

In our kitchen example, let’s say you had some kitchen towels, dirty plastic food containers, metal silverware, and a ceramic plate that you didn’t have time to clean sitting in and around the sink. While the plate and silverware would be fine after a good clean, the dirty plastic may need to be tossed if it's been dirty or wet for too long, and the towels would be tossed as there is a good chance they are unable to be saved.

How is Fire Damage Repaired?

Fire damage restoration is simple to explain; it’s when any items that have been damaged by fire or some are removed and replaced. Surprisingly enough, it’s not actually uncommon to need both fire restoration and water damage restoration simultaneously, which is due to the methods firefighters use to put fires out. 

The building, which has already suffered from the blaze, is then drenched in water and foam to stop said blaze. Some of the places hit by the water may not have been designed for it and suffer heavy damage as a result.

The first step in fire restoration isn’t dissimilar to the first step for other damage restoration types: assess the damage. Once the building is safe to enter, the professionals will go everywhere they can to see the extent of the damage and take note of what must be done. 

They then begin to dry any wet surfaces before cleaning up soot and smoke, and they will also examine and work on vents as necessary and even apply cleaning chemicals to prevent mold growth and deodorizers to remove any remaining smoke smell. 

The final steps we’ll discuss can be the most intense: destruction and reconstruction. While some jobs will require setting up new walls and the like, others may require sections to be demolished and then rebuilt from the ground up. Once their work is finally done, however, you’d never know the building was once swallowed by the ever-hungry glow of a fire.

Disasters always leave a lot of damage in their wake—while some may be minor, such as missing backyard toys or seating, others are much more severe, and you’re going to need to enlist professionals to help. Restoration companies understand this and are more than happy to bring back the home you loved so dearly. All you need to do is make the right phone call.