Water Damage Restoration Repair near Virginia Beach, VA (2024)

FAQs

How to determine water damage in walls? ›

Signs that your walls have water damage include cracking paint or bubbling wallpaper, drywall that is soft to the touch, musty smells and water rings or stains (often light brown). More gradual water damage can occur if there is a slow leak in a pipe, inadequate sealing around doors or windows, or even clogged gutters.

Technically there's not an precise estimation on how long the drying time would take. However, on average, a water damaged home may take around 5 days to dry. In other cases, it could take as little as two days, or in more serious situations, it may take a few weeks to fully dry out a home.

DON'T Redecorate Right Away. Seeing your home or business in disarray after the water has turned it upside down is not easy. However, it's also crucial to put off the repairs and to redecorate while cleanup and restoration work is ongoing. Attempting to repaint wet walls, for example, will only be a surface-level fix.

Homes that deal with heavy long-term water exposure may need to be gutted and rebuilt from the inside out. Common costs associated with water damage include replacing flooring and furniture, mold repair and removal, and installing new drywall. Wood beams and other structural elements will often need to be replaced.

Does wet drywall always need to be replaced? You may ask yourself, “Does water damaged drywall need to be replaced?” But more often than not – the answer is yes! Wet and mold-filled wet walls will lose its structural integrity. Its insulation between your home's studs means an unhealthy and dangerous living space.

It takes around 3-5 days to completely dry wet drywall, so patience is key, but you should be seeing consistent progress.

Assess your drywall.

"You can't just coat over a water stain, because it will bleed through—you must first use a water or oil-based primer."

Water damage mold appears fuzzy and nearly transparent when still new. Once fully developed, however, they form unmistakable dark spots on the affected surfaces. They often appear grayish-black. However, other types of mold can also be orange, purple, yellow, and green in color.

Thermal imaging cameras, or heat scanners', can be used to help find hidden leaks in hot water pipes under floorboards, concrete and behind walls. Thermography cameras can help identify problem areas that the naked eye cannot detect, revealing hidden water leaks that are otherwise out of sight.

What should I do immediately after water damage? ›

The first thing you need to do immediately after you see standing water in any area of your house is to find the source of the water. To prevent further damage to your house and belongings, you should stop the water immediately. This may mean turning off all the water to your home or calling a professional right away.

Water damage can be permanent or reversible, depending on the severity of the damage. Assessing the extent of water damage is essential for determining whether the damage is permanent. Professional help may be necessary for accurate evaluation and repair of water damage.

The answer to, “Can water damage fix itself?” is no, unfortunately. If you don't take action in the moment to minimize the damage, it can last longer and get worse. How long it takes to dry out your home really depends on how quickly you can get rid of all traces of moisture.

During water damage restoration, mitigation is the first step and involves stopping the flow of water, removing the water and drying the property. The next step, remediation, involves cleaning, drying, deodorizing and sanitizing salvageable materials, as well as removing items that can't be repaired.

Water Damage Class

Materials absorb very little of the water at this level, meaning the homeowner can often fix it themselves. Class 2: At this level, water has a fast rate of evaporation, which means that carpets and cushions may be damaged. It can be fixed fairly inexpensively unless the flooring has to be replaced.

The answer to, “Can water damage fix itself?” is no, unfortunately. If you don't take action in the moment to minimize the damage, it can last longer and get worse. How long it takes to dry out your home really depends on how quickly you can get rid of all traces of moisture.