How Does Storm Damage Cleaning Differ From Ordinary Damage?

4/8/2022 (Permalink)

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There is storm damage and flooding due to a pipe break or sewer backup. These are two different things and need to be cleaned separately. They might seem the same, but they really are not.

Flood Category

The EPA classifies the different types of water damage with different categories. A simple pipe burst is a category one, and a storm flood is a category three. The different categories denote different types of cleanup and handling. For practical purposes, the different types of water are called different names. There are:

• Clean water is self-explanatory
• Grey water is water without any harsh contaminants such as a flood or pipe break
• Black water is sewage, seepage and chemicals

Both types of damage can contain grey and black water.

Cleanup Methods

When cleaning up flooding from a pipe break, a flood remediation company in Emporia, VA is concerned with simply drying out your home. If the flood is from a storm or other widespread phenomena, then the cleanup is considerably more intensive. The solid waste needs to be dealt with more aggressively to prevent bacteria from growing.

Level of Cleanup

Ordinary damage from clean water just involves fans and sometimes chemical drying solutions. It is relatively easy and is usually done in a matter of hours. Flood damage is a lot different. Professionals in storm damage restoration have to wear specialized gear to prevent contamination.

The damage during a flood is also a lot more extensive than ordinary water. In cases where entire rooms are flooded, the drywall, flooring and carpet usually need to be torn out and replaced. The areas behind walls and under floors will also need to be cleared and thoroughly dried before you can re-enter your home.

Flooding cleanup is possible no matter what type of damage you have. Cleaning up after a flood caused by a storm is categorized differently and is a much more intensive process to get your home back to normal.