These pictures were taken from a recent Tampa water damage job we just worked on. The homeowner did not live there and was getting the property ready to put on the market. Unfortunately he walked into this. There was a slow leak with his AC unit that caused this. You can see from the photos where the dining room table was sitting from the staining on the carpet. The ceiling was completely saturated along with the walls, floors, carpet and padding, etc. The first thing most of us would think of doing is ripping everything out. And granted, sometimes that’s your only option. But sometimes, you do have options.
I’m sure if you show these pictures to one hundred people, you’ll get one hundred different answers on how to treat a loss like this. So what do we do, how do we find out what kind of options we might have and who is the right person to call? Well answer this questions and give you some water damage kung Fu know how in this article.
The I.I.C.R.C. is just one of many governing bodies that write the protocol for accidents like this. They take into account many different factors such as how long has this been going on for, or is it a clean water source, or did the water come from a flash flood that entered your home from the outside. Given these guidelines, and what we encounter each time we enter a water damage loss, will help guide us along, trying to minimize the loss from any further damage. There are some obvious determinations one can make on some things. For instance, the carpet and padding, there is no use trying to save a carpet that has this kind of damage to it. And the padding does not cost much, so we can assume that needs getting rid of as well. Now let’s talk about some items less obvious as far as what to do with like the ceiling and the walls. Ask yourself if you would remove them if it was up to you. Would you remove all the drywall as well? This is where a knowledgeable restoration professional can help. Knowing what age the property is can determine if there are hidden dangers that could make things worse if you open up a wall. What about the time line, this too can determine what course of action the restoration professional takes. Are there visible mold and how much is there? What other conditions could change the way this structure is dried out could be present but not discovered yet.
The way you work through a water loss like this is dealing with a professional, someone that has performed hundreds or thousands of these jobs. Trying to figure this out during an emergency is like a doctor trying to operate on themselves. Why do it, it doesn’t make sense. Find and call a professional that you can rely on. Keep their phone number and name in your contacts or on speed dial. I personally keep my auto mechanics number in my contacts along with some personal info, emergency contacts, etc.
As far as the ceiling and walls on this particular job, they were left intact, zero damage to the structure except for some discoloring which will be taken care of with a paint job. You do have options; now find a good restoration pro and put their contact info where you can get to it fast. Take care.