Water damage is really detrimental and if you know anything about it, then you would know that dealing with it right away is necessary. Well, what if you want to do it by yourself? With this, you may also need to perform mold removal as well. Here is everything you need to know.
When Can You Fix Water Damage By Yourself?
You can fix water damage by yourself, and here are times when it is completely doable.
Removing The Water
The first and easiest thing that you can do in order to fix water damage as well as prevent it is to clean up the water that has puddled all over the floor. You don’t want to leave the water as it is, it may allow mold growth and that is not what you want.
So, it is important that you keep this in mind when you are up against a puddle or a leaky pipe on the floor. Grab your mop and clean up all the water before you do anything else.
Letting The Place Dry
This is also really important and this comes after the step of getting rid of all the water from the floor. The water is gone, but the moisture isn’t and if you don’t want things to take a turn for the worse, then you have to aerate the place in order to get the ventilation going and prevent your space from becoming a dank and wet dump.
What you can do is open up the windows if there are any in the room and you can also turn on the fan to get rid of any moisture and make the space dry. This will prevent a whole lot of water damage in the future.
Fixing Minor Leaks
Pipes can sometimes leak. It doesn’t always mean that they’re broken or old, and they have to be replaced. Sometimes, there’s just a loose fitting and over time, it can cause water to drip down from the enclosed space. Well, you definitely can fix that by yourself.
All you need to do is figure out the problem and then get to work. You might want to grab a wrench for it, because tightening the pipe is key if you want to stop the leaking altogether.
Small Plumbing Issues
Sometimes, taps and faucets can leak and that is really common. New fixtures seldom leak unless they’re installed improperly, but as the fixtures get older and you use them a lot, you can see the water dripping down continuously from the spout, and the main problem is the screw inside the assembly, which has gotten old and corroded.
Well, lucky for you, you can replace a faucet really easily and all you need is a few minutes and a new assembly, and you will be good to go for a long time.
Something Is Clogged
If your drain is not draining water like it’s supposed to, then the first thing you want to do is take a plunger and check if something is clogged. Nine times out of ten, that is usually the issue and a simple plunge will fix the issue. You don’t want the drain to remain clogged and over time, the water will back up and that will turn into a disaster, so you definitely want to tackle that as soon as possible.
Water backing up is a problem that can become worse really quickly, so you can totally tackle that and prevent water damage in the future.
When Can You Not Fix Water Damage Yourself?
Water damage and fixing it yourself really depend on the severity of the problem. So, there are circumstances when you just can’t rely on your DIY skills to fix water damage.
There Is Mold
Mold is a very serious problem and if it infests anything, then you want to try your best and not get involved in this. You might think you’ll be doing yourself a favor, but it will actually be the opposite. Cleaning and getting rid of mold isn’t like getting rid of a stain.
You also want to localize the infestation and ensure that it doesn’t spread. So, calling a mold remediation Rockville team will be the only way out for you. It will give you the results you want and you will also prevent a greater disaster.
Water Is Backing Up
Sometimes, water backing up is not just a clogging issue. It can be pretty bad. So, if your good ole plunger doesn’t work, then it’s probably not the issue. There can be broken pipes in the sewer. Older pipes might have a problem that might be causing the drain to clog up.
So, this is a major issue and this is not something that you can fix on your own. You will need to consult a drain cleaner and get the work done in order to solve the problem. It might take some time, but it will be worth it in the end.
Pipes Need Replacement
Pipes are not forever. There will come a time when you will need to change the pipes. Either they’re too old, there are too many cracks in the pipes, or some parts of the pipes are corroded, so these are the times when you need to replace those pipes.
So, if you have pipes that are almost a decade old, then you will run into a lot of problems pertaining to leaks and damage in these pipes. So, it is important that you change them so that you can prevent water damage in the future.
There Is Too Much Damage
Whether it be drains or pipes, there is an extent of damage above which it is impossible to repair them. There will come a time when you will be dealing with these more than you actually need to. This is why you want to really assess the pipes and then see if it is worth getting them fixed or simply getting them replaced.
Oftentimes, replacing is the only way to go, considering the longevity and life of pipes and other things. So, you want to keep this in mind when you’re thinking about fixing things yourself. This might just not be the solution to your problem.
Major Plumbing Issues
Some plumbing issues might be in your hands. Whether it be changing fixtures or even fixing small drain clogging, but when it comes to major and more invasive plumbing work, you don’t want to pull your sleeves up and get to work.
You might think that a 2-minute crash course on the internet will make you a pro, but it might just backfire on you. So, it’s better that you call in a plumber, because these guys know what they’re dealing with and they will fix everything.
Conclusion
Water damage is something that you can fix by yourself if it’s minor, but if the damage is severe, you should rely on water damage restoration Potomac experts to fix everything.
