10 Factors That Affect Water Damage Restoration Cost In Tennessee And Georgia

By Author: ServiceMaster of Cobb
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Water damage is a big problem on a property. It can happen to anyone, for any number of reasons. Some common causes of water damage include:

● Appliance Leaks
● Burst or Broken Pipes and Hoses
● Clogged Toilet
● Clogged Gutters
● Faulty Appliances, from hot water heaters to refrigerators
● Foundation Cracks
● Leaking Roof
● Moisture buildup in basements, attics, and similar spaces
● Plumbing Issues
● Severe Weather
● Sewer Backups

Water damage can destroy everything from furniture, rugs to studs (the wood your home is made of) and even electrical wiring if submerged for an extended period of time. If left untreated, even a little water damage will inevitably worsen over time and can cause major problems such as structural damage, warped floors, damaged walls, and mold growth. That’s why water damage restoration services like ServiceMaster of Cobb are essential. We stop the water damage immediately to prevent further damage.

What is Water Damage Restoration?
Water damage restoration is the process of restoring a property ...
... to its pre-disaster condition. It involves identifying the source of the water, removing and extracting the water, drying and dehumidification, cleaning all contents, removal of unsalvageable contents, mold removal if necessary and, finally, reconstructing damaged structures.

10 Factors That Affect Water Damage Restoration Cost

ServiceMaster of Cobb discusses the factors that affect the cost of water damage restoration.

● Size of the area affected
● Amount of water
● Water Damage Type
● Source of Water
● If water is still present
● Time since the water damage started
● Types of materials affected
● Mold growth
● Property Location
● Reconstruction needed

Water restoration is complicated. With all these factors affecting the cost estimate, imagine how much more goes into the cleanup itself! That’s why calling a professional immediately is so important. Read on to understand how and why each factor affects the cost, and how these factors affect each other. That way, you'll understand what goes into the estimate that you’ll receive from the experts.

Size of the Area Affected

The larger the area affected, the more dehumidification will be necessary before the other work can take place. Likewise, more widespread damage typically means that more materials will need repair and replacement.

Amount of Water

The amount of water and the area affected can be related, but they aren’t the same thing. For example, an inch of water from a broken sink pipe on the first floor could be an easy cleanup, while a tiny drip from an upstairs shower that’s been unnoticed for 20 years could be a major mold or home safety issue.

On the other hand, the more water you have, the more likely it is to spread, worsening the damage and increasing the likelihood that there will still be standing water when the experts arrive for cleanup. A leak from a toilet supply line can deliver 300 gallons per hour, while a washing supply line can deliver 600 gallons of water per hour. High-volume leaks like these can cause severe, costly damage.

Type of Water

Did you know that water is broken down into categories based on the level of hazard it represents? There are three categories of water that can cause damage to your home.

● Category 1 is relatively clean water that comes from sanitary sources. It may leak from a toilet tank, a faucet, or a water pipe. It also might come in the form of melting snow. This water isn’t inherently dangerous for humans or pets. It isn’t contaminated, but you still don’t want it causing damage to your home.
● Category 2 is water that has been used. This includes washing machine or dishwasher overflow. It doesn’t contain sewage, but it still has contaminants. If left standing, this water can develop bacteria that push it into Category 3.
● Category 3 is water that has been contaminated by bacteria or sewage. It often comes from the sewer, but it doesn’t have to. Severe floodwaters can also be Category 3. This water can contain bacteria, harmful chemicals, and more. Unfortunately, objects that come into contact with Category 3 water may not be salvageable. That includes your belongings, as well as the materials that make up your home.

Source of Water
We mentioned earlier that water damage can arise from a variety of places. The origin of the damage will affect the kind of cleanup required.

For example, a leaky HVAC unit might go unnoticed for a while, if it isn’t being serviced properly. If an HVAC leak is left alone for too long, that can allow mold and mildew to grow and spread, requiring mold remediation. On the other hand, floodwaters can cause widespread damage, requiring floor replacement. A small sewer backup may not cover an enormous area, but it will require special treatment because it’s Category 3 water.

If Water Is Still Present

Is there still water at the damaged site? If so, that’s going to affect the restoration process. The experts you call in may need to use pumps or other special equipment to clean the water out before they can even begin doing anything else.

Other factors play into this one as well. Is the standing water in a large or small area? How easy is it to reach? These things can affect how easy it is to pump the water away, and how bad the overall damage is.

Time Since the Water Damage Started
We’ve already mentioned that water damage left untreated causes worse and worse problems over time. Here’s what that looks like as it develops.

● Within minutes or hours, contamination from hazardous water can spread. Furniture on wet carpet will start to stain the carpeting. Over time, wood furniture starts to swell up with water.
● Within days, you may start seeing mold and mildew appear. Paint and wallpaper may be ruined. Wood floors start warping, sometimes beyond repair. Structural wood supports may start swelling, as well.
● In about a week, the mold and mildew will grow and spread in your furniture, the drywall, and even in the structure of your home itself.
● As weeks go by, mold will take root deep into organic materials like wood, ruining them beyond the point of salvage. Mold damage poses health hazards to the people living in the home as well. It enters your bloodstream and your lungs, affecting your immune system. Mold causes allergy symptoms, but over time it can do much more. It can start to affect your liver, kidneys, and brain, causing headaches and even affecting your memory.
● After a prolonged period, untreated water damage can affect the foundation of a house. Over time, the house starts to shift under its own weight. Basement walls may begin flexing, and the whole structure begins to sink.
Taking care of water damage quickly isn’t just a question of preserving your property, it’s a question of health and safety. That’s why it’s so important to call a restoration service right away.

Types of Materials Affected
Different materials react to water in different ways. Take flooring, for example. Different floors are affected by water differently. On top of that, some floors are easy to replace in bits and pieces, while others must be ripped up entirely and replaced, regardless of how widespread the damage is.

● Vinyl and linoleum floors are generally pretty water-resistant. The main concern is that the subfloor isn’t damaged. You may be able to loosen and remove individual sections of vinyl flooring to check, instead of having to replace the whole thing.
Laminate floors can sometimes be replaced in small patches, up to a point, before you have to rip the whole thing out and start over. ● Laminate reacts differently to water than many other floors. You need to dry it quickly as laminates cannot be dried once the water gets past the surface. The laminate may not start showing signs of damage until a couple of days after the damage occurs. Installation is easy, too. Even allowing for the installation of sub-floor padding, laminate flooring installation is very affordable.
● Hardwood floors may show damage pretty quickly, depending on how well-protected they are. You can repair wood floors in individual spots, if the damage isn’t bad. You eventually reach a point where it’s cheaper to replace the whole floor, but that’s not guaranteed to be the case.
● Carpeted floors are a different story. A carpet can withstand a lot of water before it reaches the point of water damage. But by the same token, all the water that it soaks up must be dried thoroughly to prevent the growth of mold within the carpet. Another disadvantage with carpet is that while you can patch it with remnants, it’s not as smooth as replacing individual tiles or pieces of hardwood. Carpet varies wildly in terms of cost per square foot. Drying carpeted floors requires specialized methods and techniques. Category 2 water will require the carpet to be replaced. Category 3 will require both the carpet and the pad to be replaced. The best way to handle it is to call a professional.
● Ceramic or Stone Tile floors are extremely resistant to water. As long as the water doesn’t reach the subfloor, you’re probably going to see less damage, and require minimal repairs. Make sure that the tile is sealed and well-grouted. If you (or whoever installed your floor) kept any extra tile on hand, then repairing a tile floor can be pretty straightforward. Tile varies in cost. Installation for these options can be a little more expensive than other options, towards the upper end of wood flooring.
Of course, flooring is just one example. All over your house, there are materials that will affect how resistant your home is to water damage, and whether the repair is possible or replacement is necessary. A good expert can help you make sense of what your home’s materials mean for the cost of your water damage restoration.

Mold Growth
We know that the longer your water damage lasts, the more you’re at risk for mold and bacterial growth. We talked about how it can start within as little as three days, how it can take root within weeks, and how it can cause severe health problems as it goes.

The good news is that in addition to water damage restoration, ServiceMaster of Cobb has residential mold remediation experts who can take care of this threat to your house and health.

Property Location
The place that you live can affect your recovery time as well. The basic cost of living in your area will affect water damage restoration cost, but that’s not the only way that your location factors in. If your home is in an area where the climate is more humid, dehumidifying your home will require more time and effort and cost more.

That’s why ServiceMaster of Cobb uses a network of local professionals. If you live in a state where the humidity is always high, you know that the person coming in to help you probably lives there, too, and knows how to handle it. Humidity may not be your friend when it comes to water damage repair, but you can at least ensure that you have a professional working with you whose experience you can trust.

Reconstruction Needed
Generally, repair is preferable to replacement. Opting to repair instead of replace saves money and materials, but that isn’t always an option. We’ve already talked about some of the factors that can necessitate reconstruction. But to recap, they include:
● Mold taking root
● Contact with contaminated water
● Destruction from storm damage
● Damage left untreated for long periods of time
Reconstruction can be an important part of getting your life back on track, but it can also affect both the timeline and the cost of your repair.

Contact ServiceMaster of Cobb Professionals in Tennessee and Georgia

A lot of different things affect the cost of water damage restoration, and the cost isn’t the only thing about fixing water damage that’s complicated. This kind of restoration work is as complex as it is crucial. That’s why it’s so important to call the experts at the first sign of trouble.

Trained, qualified, local ServiceMaster of Cobb Professionals are ready to help. Our IICRC-certified technicians are experts at assessing, controlling, and restoring property after water damage. Our experts know how to deal with dangerous mold and mildew causes.

Call ServiceMaster of Cobb at GEORGIA: 678-264-3310 or TENNESSEE: 423-220-4482 for water damage free inspection and assessment.