What Can Be Restored After Flood Damage?

It's true that not everything affected by a flood can be restored; water damage isn't always repairable. That said, you might be surprised by how much can be rescued--particularly when you engage the services of a team of flood damage specialists to help you deal with the aftermath. The most important thing of all is to act fast: the more quickly you have specialists on site, the more likely you are to be able to restore the affected area quickly and effectively without suffering long-term consequences from the flood.

Books & Paper  

For many people, their greatest concern in the event of a flood is that irreplaceable paper artefacts will be damaged beyond repair—primarily books and legal documents, particularly those of great sentimental value. The good news is that it's possible to restore these objects more often than you might think. A specialised team will use a 'desiccant dehumidifier' to reduce ambient humidity to extremely low levels, which can dry out paper in situ in a way that minimises the amount of water damage left behind. There are water damage companies who specialise in paper and printed materials, so if this is your main concern look one up right away--more is possible than you might imagine, but you do have to act fast.

Flooring

In most floods, the flooring of the flooded room is usually the worst-affected area of all. The most important thing is always to get as much circulation as possible to allow the floor underneath your flooring material to dry out properly; this prevents future issues and is also the best way to protect the flooring material itself. This means lifting carpets, lino and anything else that's essentially an overlay--something that flood damage specialists can often do without damaging anything beyond repair, depending on the precise situation. Once it's up it can be left to dry separately before it's re-laid.

Plaster & Brick Walls

The outer brick walls of most houses are fairly resistant to flood damage in most places; the biggest risk is that your grouting will be damaged, which can be solved simply by having the brickwork re-pointed once everything has had a chance to dry out. The real risk to your walls is the plaster used over that brick inside, as insulation and to give you a surface to paint and decorate. It's rarely necessary to replaster an entire room after a flood, however! Most flood damage repair teams will only need to remove and re-smooth small patches, which is usually done in stages to give the wall itself a chance to dry out.

For more information, contact a company like Restoratix.

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