Residential Water Damage Restoration & Flood Recovery

The Water Damage Restoration Process

BMS CAT water damage restoration experts follow specific protocols on every job. The steps to restoring a home or building after a water damage are:

• rapidly respond to customers call
• send out a team of experts
• locate and stop the source of excess water
• assess the damage
• create a custom plan of action
• extract and remove excess water
• dry and dehumidify the structure
• clean debris
• disinfect affected area and contents
• repair and reconstruct

With BMS CAT, customers can have confidence that we will be there from start to finish. Our customers don’t have to search for multiple vendors to handle the different aspects of their restoration and reconstruction needs.

Responding and Stopping the Leak

Our job doesn’t just start when out experts arrive on site, but it starts at the very moment we receive a call from a customer. Understandably, the caller is usually stressed, worried, and panicked. Our first job is to listen carefully, get as much details on the situation as possible, and provide reassurance that they are in great hands. 

Information requested during the intake call includes the client’s name, contact information, and the address where the damage has occurred. Our representative will also ask about the nature of the flood or water damage, whether or not a leak is still active, and if electricity is available.

Next, we send out a water damage response team. The team’s job is to locate and stop the leak as soon as possible, inspect the area where the leak and flooding occurred, assess the damage, and create a custom mitigation plan.

Inspecting the Structure and Assessing Water Damage

In situations involving floodwaters from a weather event or an overflowing river, we must wait until it is safe to enter the premises. This is usually after the storm or active flooding has stopped. The next step is to inspect the customer’s property and building materials to assess the extent of the water damage. In depth assessment enables the team to put a strategic recovery plan into place.

An assessment determines the degree of water damage and remaining excess water in the home or building. Industry standards categorizes water as “white” (category 1), “gray” (category 2), or “black” (category 3). Category 1 being the cleaning and category 3 being the dirtiest.

White Water

White water is clean. It enters a house from a city supply or a clean well and is drinkable and safe for people.

Gray Water

Gray water is not clean or potable. It comes out of dishwashers, washing machines, bathtubs, showers, and sinks. It isn’t toxic, but it is not drinkable.

Black Water

Black water is contaminated and toxic. Sewage is black water, as is floodwater that contains fertilizers, oil, debris, and animal feces.

Water can upgrade categories quickly. White water becomes gray water after sitting for 48 hours. Gray changes to black if untreated for two days or more.

After BMS CAT technicians have determined the category of water present in a home or building, they can take the needed safety percussions, inform the homeowner of any additional decontamination services needed, and initiate the restoration plan.

Water Extraction and Water Removal

This phase of the restoration plan is launched as soon as possible after the damage evaluation.

In some extensive flooding situations, we recommend that the contents inside the home be packed up quickly and moved out to avoid further damage, such as mold damage.  Moving out furniture and belongings also makes it easier to clean a house and make repairs.

Water extraction begins immediately, even as a move-out is process. In cases where water is standing in a room, basement, or throughout a whole building, BMS CAT water removal experts begin extraction with the use of powerful submersible pumps. These pumps work to remove the excess water.

It is then after that industrial-strength vacuums are brought in to further extract water. These vacuums suck water out of rugs, carpets, flooring, walls, cupboard cavities, and furniture.

Water can sometimes end up in hidden places and it’s crucial to locate and treat these areas. If missed, these reservoirs can spawn mold, disintegrate wood and vulnerable materials around them. To find hidden water, our expert technicians use moisture detectors, hygrometers, and infrared cameras.

Drying and Dehumidifying

After with water has been extracted and removed as much as possible, the task of drying and dehumidifying begins. This is a crucial phase in the restoration process, and it must be allowed enough time to be complete.

Many homeowners think that after the pumps and vacuums have done their work, their home is dry. However, water usually finds its way inside building materials such as drywall or wood. It very important that the excess water inside drywall and wood be completely removed. If not thoroughly dried out, other issues will manifest such as: mold, warping, swelling, buckling, and disintegration.

BMS CAT technicians are experts at managing temperature and humidity to achieve drying goals. They understand that drying and dehumidifying are key to fully removing excess water from the homes building materials. Air movers, fans, and dehumidifiers are placed around a house or building to create airflow across all spaces and accelerate the evaporation of moisture.

Carpets, pads, rugs, and walls may take days to finish drying. Specialized moisture reading equipment is used to monitor progress and confirm acceptable moisture levels.

Cleaning and Disinfecting

Cleaning and disinfecting are essential parts of the restoration process. If a house has been submerged or has had floodwaters sweep through it, virtually everything in the house will need to be cleaned, sanitized, and deodorized. This includes clothing, kitchen items, household goods, upholstery, furniture, and window treatments.

In the case of a plumbing or roof leak, contaminated water are spread to the affected areas and those areas will need cleaning and disinfecting.

BMS CAT restoration specialists review home contents and decide what can be saved and what cannot. They make every effort to restore customers’ items to their original condition by utilizing various cleaning methods such as: dry cleaning, wet cleaning, spray and wipe, foam cleaning, abrasive cleaning, and immersion cleaning.

Water that has been present for a full day or longer will leave an odor on whatever it has contacted. (Think wet clothes left in washing machine with the door closed.) Odor removal and deodorizing follow cleaning and disinfecting. Our teams utilize air scrubbers and foggers to address the unpleasant odor in homes that have suffered from water damage.

Our cleaning teams make use of antimicrobial and antibacterial products as well as disinfecting treatments to sanitize content. We follow strict protocols for ensuring that all items impacted by a water event are safe and ready to be returned to the homeowner.

Items that we deem unsafe or unfit for use will be disposed of safely and properly, with customers’ guidance and approval.

Restoration: Water Damage Repair and Reconstruction

The final step in returning a customer’s life to pre-flood conditions is through water damage repair and reconstruction. Depending on the severity of the damaging water event, the work involved may be minor or major.

Extensive repairs can include:

• drywall removal and installation
• re-roofing
• painting
• flooring repairs
• replacement of carpets, molding, trim, cabinetry, and doors

BMS CAT reconstruction professionals provide all services necessary to return a home or building to its original condition. These services include interior and exterior painting, wall coverings, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, flooring, and roofing. If controlled demolition is required, our teams possess the expertise to carry it out safely and responsibly.

BMS CAT provides a full suite of water damage and flood restoration services. From initial assessment to final repairs, our team’s comprehensive capabilities mean that customers have access to all necessary services under one roof. With one phone call to BMS CAT, clients can launch the complete recovery of their water-damaged homes and buildings.