Emergency property damage—such as an oven fire, flooding, storm damage, or a mold outbreak—requires fast action. While mitigating the damage is crucial for a smooth and efficient restoration process, it’s sometimes better to remove yourself from harm’s way and wait for the pros to arrive.
Knowing when to tackle repairs and cleanup yourself and when to call a restoration specialist can help you save time and take confident steps toward recovery. In this article, we’ll review the main types of property damage—water, fire, storm, and mold—and outline scenarios for when it’s best to hire a restoration company.
Minor cases of clean water damage, such as a spilled glass of water on carpeting, may be addressed through a DIY approach. However, keep in mind that a small amount of spilled water is capable of seeping through surfaces and causing mold growth, odors, and damage to your flooring. Water damage in any category, therefore, must be addressed properly, thoroughly, and as quickly as possible. The longer it is not handled, the more damage it can cause to your affected property areas.
While small cases of water damage can be DIYed, larger cases often require specialized tools to extract water, eliminate moisture, and prevent mold. The following scenarios require professional restoration treatment:
Several of these scenarios fall under Category 3 water damage, meaning the water is highly contaminated with harmful chemicals and bacteria. Category 3 water damage must be addressed by specialists who have personal protective equipment and are trained for hazardous water cleanup.
Water damage restoration professionals typically go through the following steps to restore your property:
We strongly advise against attempting fire damage restoration yourself. Without a comprehensive understanding of fire damage or proper equipment, you could miss hidden damage, expose yourself to toxic chemicals, and delay your home’s recovery.
Whether it’s a kitchen fire, electrical fire, or wildfire damage, a restoration specialist can address not only structurally damaged materials but also harmful smoke and soot buildup. Once a building fire is out, you should contact your local fire restoration company immediately to conduct an assessment and begin the restoration process.
After an assessment, fire damage restoration professionals will:
The only situation worth tackling yourself is trying to remove minor smoke odors after professionals have restored your property and addressed smoke damage. In some cases, the damage may be repaired, but you can still smell smoke on your personal items or surfaces. While you can attempt to address this, it could be that the item or surface has experienced permanent damage and needs removal.
A little bit of mold around the sink or in the shower is easy to remove, right? It depends.
The Environmental Protection Agency advises only handling mold yourself if the mold is less than 10 square feet. If an area of mold is larger than 10 square feet, it’s best to hire a mold remediation expert. The risk of removing mold yourself is missing hidden mold beneath surfaces along with mold spores in the air.
Mold remediation specialists go through a detailed procedure to ensure absolutely all mold is eliminated:
If the result of an Utah storm is just a few small branches in the backyard, that’s an easy cleanup. However, if your house experiences storm damage—in the form of part of a tree falling on your roof or basement flooding from heavy rainfall—call your local contractors for cleanup, repairs, and restoration.
Similar to the previous restoration jobs, professional storm damage restoration allows to not only address the visible damage but also recognize other hidden problems. For example, if a large tree branch fell on the roof, they can check the extent of the roof damage and if any water or debris passed through open cracks or holes.
The first step in addressing storm damage is to stabilize the scene. Technicians will ensure you and your family are completely safe and out of harm’s way before conducting a thorough assessment. Next, they will secure the property, store any necessary belongings, and remove storm water from the house. After that, the team will demolish any materials that can’t be repaired and restore them to their original condition.
If you have moderate to severe property damage, or aren’t sure about moving forward with a DIY restoration job, the experts at Sierra Restoration are standing by ready to guide your home’s recovery.Since 2010, we have provided Utah and Idaho communities with competitive pricing, professional craftsmanship, and 24/7 emergency assistance at home. We proudly provide services in:
Our trusted restoration and remodeling team applies our motto to every job: “Restoring dreams one home at a time – with value, quality, and timeliness in mind.”
Schedule your emergency appointment with Sierra Restoration at 435-563-4007.
If you have a question or would like to request a free estimate, please contact us using the form below.
If this is an emergency, please call (435) 563-4007 for 24/7 service.
