10 Feb How Long Does Water Damage Restoration Take?
We can understand the panic you had after discovering the water damage on your ceiling or wall. Before losing sleep on this matter, calm down and let us guide you so that you can minimize it and repair your home.
The first thing people have in their mind after water damage is how long does water damage restoration take? This timing depends on the severity of the incident, materials, and, more importantly, the drying time before the restoration process.
Although you need to take immediate action to prevent more damage, read the article below to know what steps you should follow.
Expected Time to Repair Water Damages
To estimate the time needed to restore your house just as before, you must consider a few things first. Generally, the water damage repair process needs from 2 weeks to more than a month, depending on the severity of the water damage.
Follow the steps below to know how much time your restoration process may take.
Step 01: Assessment of the Situation While Drying
You must have patience as the restoration process cannot start if your wall, floor, or ceiling is still wet. So, let it dry, and now your first task is to hire a professional water damage restoration service. It is necessary to call them because only they know what harm has already been caused by the water and what will possibly cause if left untreated.
The time needed to dry can vary from 2 to 4 days. It may vary a few more days depending on water content and moisture exposure, both inside and outside the wall or ceiling.
You should help your service provider by telling the initial water amount that caused the leaking. And also, don’t forget to mention how long the water is in the wall or ceiling.
Moreover, the repairing will have to take the Asbestos test if your house is built before 1980. After the inspection is done, the repairing will start when the damaged wall or ceiling is dried completely.
Step 02: Flood Damage Restoration Process
During the water-soaked place is drying, your service provider will arrange the required equipment to start the repairing. This process will need more time if the catastrophe is major and already compromising the safety of the people living there.
The time needed for removing damaged materials, restoring new items, and rearranging the whole room will depend on the following factors:
Housing Structure:
The size of the damaged portion and the material of the house (wood, porous concrete floors suffer more)
Contaminated Water:
More time may be needed when an outlet drainage system, for example- the sewerage pipe contaminates the water by any chance. Sometimes a deep clean is required to clean the surface to remove the odor.
Checking the Systems Around the House:
If the heating, cooling, electrical, and gas system was also exposed to water, a thorough inspection and necessary restoration might be required.
Time Calculation:
The time needed to-Dry the wet materials: 2 to 3 days+ Mold remediation and floor or wall replacement: 4 to 10 days+ Repainting and Drying: 3 days.
So, you can guess that the process will take roughly 2 to 4 weeks overall.
What Should You Do Primarily?
Water damage restoration becomes easier when you make the right decisions initially. If your whole room is exposed to water and the floor, ceiling, or walls are damaged due to a storm or explosion of a pipe, opening the windows and removing the wet furniture should be your primary concern.
For the roof, remove the water as soon as possible. You can use a dehumidifier, fan, or anything similar to dry the wet area of the ceiling. However, the restoring company can take care of this stuff if you want.
Why Should You Repair Water Damage?
We focused on the repairing process from the beginning of this article because the small cracks or wet walls can be highly hazardous to your health.
If left untreated, the following issues will start to surface in no time:
Molds or Mildew Development
Drying the walls or vents improperly will lead to mold formation. This mold is a perfect place for bacteria, allergens, and harmful germs to grow, circulating the room, resulting in health issues.
Sagging Walls
The outside wall is equally important as the inside of your house. Sloppy drying may cause wall sagging after a few days of the incident.
Broken Plumbing
Suppose you have dried the wall but forgot to repair the broken plumbing line. Wait for a few days, and another water damage is on your way. This is a crucial reason why you should hire professionals.
Peeling Paint
Some people paint the wet wall where it was wet before, without drying it properly. And the paint peels off after a few days.
Foundation Cracks
People often ignore the beams and only focus on the walls or floors. The foundation cracks are the result of this ignorance.
Conclusion:
Even though you have learned to calculate How Long Does Water Damage Restoration Take, it is always better to talk to your service provider to get an idea to clean up the damaged area. The variables play a huge role in solving this issue. So, get ready for the renovation after the leak mitigation experiment is done.
We understand that the time and cost are your concern. But you should look at the bigger picture and save your beloved home from facing any more damage.
FAQs
How Long Does It Take to Repair Water Damaged Ceiling?
The repairing process varies with every other situation. Adding the time to dry, rebuild, and dry the new paint, the process may take two weeks to 4 weeks. It may take more time if the damage is in a larger ceiling portion.
How Long Does It Take to Dry Out Walls from Water Damage?
It takes three to four days to dry a wet wall. But it still depends on the wall and the weather outside to dry it.
Can You Do Water Damage Restoration by Yourself?
Yes, you can, but you should not. The construction engineers recommend seeking help from the restoration company to prevent further damage.