Steps in Water Cleanup

June 30, 2023

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Did your home recently suffer a flood or burst pipe? Get the water cleanup you need with PNW Restoration.

If we’re honest, no homeowner wants to face water damage. Even if it’s something that everyone will experience, it’s never fun to deal with. Water can destroy your home and everything in it. If it sits for too long, it can even cause mold. If you hire a water restoration company, you might be wondering what water cleanup involves.

Water cleanup is the process of removing water from your home. However, that is a very broad explanation of it. Water cleanup is a very detailed process. Keep reading to learn what this cleanup involves.

What is Water Cleanup?

First and foremost, what exactly is water cleanup? There are several names for water cleanup, including water damage restoration. Regardless of what you call it, the steps involved in it are the same. Water cleanup is designed to remove water from your home. It’s also designed to treat mold and get rid of bacteria so your premises are safe.

Here are the steps involved in professional water cleanup:

Shutting off the Electricity

Water and electricity don’t mix. So the first step is to shut off your home’s electricity. This may sound like an “obvious” step, but it’s worth mentioning to keep everyone safe.

Inspecting and Assessing the Damage

Before any type of restoration can begin, your technician has to understand what they’re dealing with. Without this knowledge, they won’t be able to determine the proper ways to treat the damage.

This step is critical because there are actually several categories of water damage. Category 1 water includes things like rain and burst pipes. This type of water damage does not pose a health risk to anyone in the house.

Category 2 water damage can lead to health issues. This type of water damage is gray water damage. It includes wastewater. Last but not least is Category 3. This is the worst and most dangerous type of water damage. This includes floodwaters and sewage backups.

Since Category 3 is the most dangerous. As a result, your technician will have to wear protective gear. By analyzing what type of water it is, your technician can be better prepared to treat it and keep themselves safe.

Removing the Water

The next step is to remove the water from the property. This can be done in several ways, depending on the severity. For floods and large amounts of water, buckets will be used to get out the water. Then, a wet-dry vacuum will be used.

The amount of time it takes to remove water from the premises will vary. It all depends on the severity of the damage and how much water there is.

Remove the Damaged Items

If your home suffered water damage, it’s likely many areas of your home sustained damage. This includes everything from carpets to drywalls and even furniture. Once the water is gone, it’s time to properly bag and remove damaged items from your home.

Leaving waterlogged items can lead to mold developing. This will be unhealthy to breathe. Likewise, with waterlogged items left behind, your room also won’t be thoroughly dried. Repairs occur during this phase. This step is also crucial to keeping your home safe.

Drying Out the Affected Area

Once we remove all the water, the next step is to dry out the area. Drying the area will take some time. In fact, it’s usually the longest part of the water restoration process. It could take a few days or several weeks.

The best methods include getting a cross breeze. This is easy to do during our warm Portland summers. Open your windows and a backdoor to let fresh air get in and out. In addition to this, your tech will run fans and dehumidifiers.

While the dehumidifier doesn’t dry the area, it will grab moisture from the air that could promote mold growth.

Offering Water Damage and Mold Prevention Tips

At the end of the process, your technician will offer you tips. It may not always be possible to prevent water or mold damage. However, they will offer some insights that can help this damage from being severe.

Likewise, they will share with you tips on what mold looks like and how to treat it so it doesn’t get worse. The water cleanup process is critical to preserving your home after any type of water damage.

Call PNW Restoration for All Your Water Cleanup Needs in Portland

Did your home suffer any sort of water damage? Do you need help cleaning it? Are you worried about mold? Get the help you need with PNW Restoration. All of our water cleanup services come highly rated in Portland and beyond.

We know how to identify classes of water damage. As such, we will use the proper cleaning solutions and methods. You deserve a safe environment. Schedule your water cleanup appointment today by calling 971-247-3470. You can also schedule an appointment on our website.

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What is Water Cleanup?

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   Mai Green 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We had an incredible experience with PNW Restoration after discovering water damage in our home. They were incredibly responsive, arriving at our house within a few short hours. As it was our first time dealing with a flood, we were grateful for their thorough approach. Bryan Becker, the Project Manager, and Nick Peterson, the Lead Water Technician, took the time to walk us through the damage and explain their plan to fix it. Throughout the entire process, they clearly communicated every step, ensuring we understood everything. Their daily check-ins were reassuring, and their over-communication, kept us informed and at ease. They even provided invaluable support during the frustrating insurance claim process. We highly recommend PNW Restoration for their professionalism, responsiveness, and excellent customer service. Thank you, Bryan and Nick, for making a stressful situation much more manageable!
  
 
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   Tom Giamario 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Fast  and comprehensive mitigation response. Jakeb is caring and responsive. Kylie and Nick  doing the work were professional and friendly while working hard. Restoration has  been a little more difficult with scheduling and less than reliable subcontractors.
  
 
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   Jennifer Humphrey 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A recent small leak in a bathroom pipe has turned into a major restoration project. We were referred to PNW Restoration and I am so glad we were. Jakeb Shelton the project manager contacted us immediately and answered all our questions (we are novices) about what to expect from our insurance company and the project. He is handling contact with the insurance adjuster, saving us a multitude of headaches. Every one of the PNW employees who have worked on the demolition phase of our project (Kylie, Nick, Wade, Brett and all the others whose names I can't recall) have been polite, accommodating and unbelievably hard workers. Every question we have asked, no matter how minor, has been answered immediately and satisfactorily. The project continues into the rebuild phase and I am confident the employees we will work with in the future will be just as great. I cannot recommend PNW Restoration more highly. Awesome, awesome customer service, too!
  
 
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   Tim Hoth 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Jake was the project manager and helped take care of a sewer line issue I was having. Brett, Kylie, and Noe came and did a tremendous job making sure all of my furniture and hardwood flooring was covered and took care of doing new vapor barrier and insulation and water cleanup under my house with little room to work in. They were flexible on timing and made sure cleanup was done well!
  
 
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   Jen Jen 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Based on my tenants’ experience with PNW, the company performed quality work and the staff are thoughtful about the tenants’ needs. I am sincerely grateful for this positive feedback.
  
 
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   Steve Nielsen 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Bryan at PNW has been terrific in our repair of our house. Excellent service and responsive. Recommend very highly.
  
 
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   Josie Wolf 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Thank you, PNW for being available on short notice next day bases. We really appreciate you coming out to our location.
  
 
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   Johanna Hastay 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. PNW Restoration came to my rescue after a water damage event required the removal and demolition of my entire kitchen down to the subfloor. Jake was my remediation project manager and his team, especially Wade, Brett, and Matthew were amazing! Everyone has been extremely responsive, helpful, tidy, fun, and supportive during a very stressful time, all while helping me with my insurance company. They are a great company and willing to go above and beyond. They’ve provided all the guidance and care that you could ask for and I look forward to working with them to get the kitchen back up and running.
  
 
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   Lindsay Prange 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Had a great experience with Jake and Bryan from PNW Restoration! They were prompt and professional with scheduling and showed up exactly when they said they would. They got right to work and conducted a thorough inspection of our crawlspace, providing a detailed report of exactly how they could help mitigate our mold concerns. Highly recommended!
  
 
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   Christine McCulloch 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We really appreciate the work that PNW team did when we had major water damage from our attic, 2 floors and the crawl space. They were all extremely professional, always gave me a call to make sure that someone would be home when they came, and they respected the house and space when they were in it. They also outsourced some stuff and made sure those teams also represented them well. In all, PNW team were genuinely wonderful people and made one of the hardest periods of our life, manageable.