Water Damage Smell

There are two different types of water damage.

The second, more harmful type of water is called dirty water. This water comes from an overflowed toilet, failed ejector pump, broken sewage line, etc. This is hazardous water and must be treated with extreme caution. Still solid fecal matter may still be present, along with clumps of decomposing bath tissue. Because of this, the water damage smell and odor can be unbearable at times. All affected materials ought to be discarded and the affected walls, baseboards, carpet, and pad need to be treated appropriately.

The "least" harmful is called clean water, which comes from such sources as a sump pump failure, foundation crack, appliance leak, etc. It is relatively safe if it has not been sitting untreated for more than 72 - 94 hours. If your water damage has been sitting untreated for over this time, dangerous bacteria have grown and the water should be treated as dirty water. The water damage smell from clean water ought to be nothing more than a musty smell. If its worse, your water damage is probably dirty.

Regardless of what type of water you have, you need to act quickly and decisively. Water damage is progressive, meaning that the longer it goes untreated, the worse the damage becomes. Taking action quick will give you the best chance in mitigating most of the damage, along with being able to salvage water damaged furniture and other personal items. Repair water damage and restore any affected materials ASAP!

Carpet Cleaning Water Damage

This article explains how to clean, save and restore the water damaged carpet.

Prepare the Carpet for Cleaning

Using a thin screwdriver or an awl, pick up a corner of the carpet. If you have a tack trip, be very very careful! It's quite easy to prick yourself on the sharp and often rusty nails.

If You Don't Have a Tack Strip:
The water damaged carpet is glued down. This means that you don't have padding.

If You DO Have a Tack Strip:
Tack strips usually mean you have padding. Any padding that's affected needs to be yanked out.

Padding:

Padding will always have to be entirely trashed. Don't even think of saving it - it will get moldy.

Treatment & Cleaning of the Carpet:

Using either a pump-up sprayer or a household sprayer, spray the back of the carpet. Once again, I highly recommend using a pump up sprayer with a large tank, or at least two to three coats of both your deodorizer and disinfectant. If you are using a hand held trigger sprayer or aerosol, make sure to put down 2-3 coats! This will unsure the backside of your carpet cleaning water damage is done for good.

For the top of the carpet, you must clean it with both deodorizer and sanitizer. A carpet cleaning machine from your hardware store will do the trick. Move furniture and other items around so that you successfully clean every square inch of the carpet. Don't cheat around ANY furniture! Since you have already extracted your carpet with a wet/dry vacuum and cleaned it, the carpet should no longer be very wet. If it still is, you must extract and/or clean it further.

That concludes the carpet cleaning water damage associated with your water damage issue.

Water Damage Repair

After water strikes, your first step is to identify the type of water that is affecting your residence.

There are two different types of water damage. The "least" harmful is called clean water, which comes from such sources as a sump pump failure, foundation crack, appliance leak, etc. It is relatively safe if it has not been sitting untreated for more than 72 - 94 hours. If your water damage has been sitting untreated for over this time, dangerous bacteria have grown and the water should be treated as dirty water.

The second, more harmful type of water is called dirty water. This water comes from an overflowed toilet, failed ejector pump, broken sewage line, etc. This is hazardous water and must be treated with extreme caution. Still solid fecal matter may still be present, along with clumps of decomposing bath tissue. All affected materials ought to be discarded and the affected walls, baseboards, carpet, and pad need to be treated appropriately.

Remember: all damage is dangerous - and you don't have time to fool around. You need to complete water damage repair ASAP!

Water Damage Mildew

Water damage mildew can occur from any type of the following water damage types:

Clean Water: The safest of all water types. This water lives up to its name in that it is visibly clear, and looks "clean." As long as this water is cleaned up promptly (within 72 hours), the affected materials may be saved and restored. If the water had been sitting there for over 72 hours, it should be treated as black water. Examples of clean water sources include malfunctioning sump pumps, broken appliance supply lines, rain run-off, foundation cracks, and leaking or overflowed pipes.

Gray Water: This is a mildly hazardous water type. It may look clear as if it is "clean" water; however, it possesses contaminants that can cause illness and discomfort amongst people and pets. It is not extremely dangerous to work with; however, precautionary measures should be taken. It often originates from an overflowed toilet or a drain backup.

Black Water: The most hazardous type of water damage. This water damage should be treated and remediated with the use of extreme caution. This water may still contain solid pieces of fecal matter and toilet tissue. In most cases, you will also be able to identify the presence of black water through its extremely foul odor. This water often comes from faulty or broken ejector pumps, broken sewage lines, or a sewage back-up. Any and all affected materials must be immediately removed from the residence and discarded.

Water Damage Clean-Up

Water Damage Clean Up and Restoration

Dealing with water damage can be a traumatic experience. You feel a loss of control in your own home! The feeling only gets worse if you have a company come in and rip apart your walls, carpet, furniture, and rummage through your personal items! After dealing with all this aggravation and more, you get "rewarded" with a bill for $1,000's!

This does not have to be your experience with water damage.

You already have the ability to clean up your own water damage, you just need the know-how! Below is a step-by-step skeleton of what the actions you should take in remediating your own water damage.

Turn Off All Electricity- Turn your power main to the off position so you don't get electrically shocked. Never step in standing water without the power off!

Identify the Type of Water- You must determine if your water is considered "clean" or "dirty." Clean water comes from sources such as a failed sump pump or leaky dishwasher. Dirty water comes from sources like broken ejector pumps and cracked sewage lines.

Equipment and Materials- You will need water damage equipment such as a wet/dry vacuum, carpet cleaning machine, deodorizers, disinfectants, and body protection such as puncture proof gloves.

Remove the Water- Use either a submersible pump or wet/dry vacuum to remove the excess water.

Treat Your Carpet and/or Other Flooring- You must properly clean, disinfect, and deodorize the carpet.

Discard the Padding- Remove and trash all the padding under the carpet.

Treat Walls and Baseboards- Remove the baseboards and create air cavities in the walls. Properly disinfect and store the baseboards.

Ensure Your Furniture is Safe- Check for structural damage and if water affected absorbent areas.

Drying Equipment- You will need to use air movers, fans, and dehumidifiers after you finish the demolition and restoration process. These pieces of equipment will allow your home to dry properly.

Deal with Insurance Companies- After you remediate your water damage, you will have to deal with your insurance company and make sure the insurance company pays you the money you deserve!

Waiting even several hours to treat your water damage properly will lead to extensive mold growth and irreversible damage! For an in-depth step-by-step guide to everything mentioned above and more, visit click here.