There was a time in history when water protected our homes from damage and despair. But with the days of catapults and drawbridges long behind us, water surrounding our homes is a real nightmare.

But in Troy and many other places in Michigan and the US, that nightmare has come true for many. It could happen to you. Water damage restoration companies aren’t as common as many other types of contractors.

Fortunately for you, Michigan, Doan Restoration MI is right here in your home state, and we’re always around to help see you through your soggiest problems.

Water damage is disastrous for any residential or commercial property. Water damage restoration is a tricky business, too – and some people don’t even know when they should call.

(Hint: you should always call – even if it’s just to find out if you should be calling.)

Water damage can hit you from any angle. It could be a clogged gutter redirecting a bad thunderstorm down through your walls. It could be an exploding water heater or burst pipes. It could be a river surging over its banks and invading your first floor. It could be the sewage in your street flowing out into the street and contaminating your basement.

It’s going to be unsettling or downright terrifying, no matter how it happens. It’s going to make you wonder if you can afford to fix it. It’s going to make you worry about your home or your offices, and the property inside it. It’s going to make you dread calling your insurance company and beginning the mountain of paperwork you’re sure they’ll have for you.

It’s going to be a pile of questions with very few answers, and you’re going to feel that stress.

That’s why we exist.

Our water damage restoration experts in Troy and the rest of Michigan exist to minimize your frustrations and maximize your solutions. G.I. Joe always reminded us that knowing is half the battle. If your enemy is water damage, then restoration companies bring both halves of that battle with us. We’ve got the know-how, and we’ve got the equipment to save your home.

If you’re feeling like the literal flood has you feeling like you’re proverbially drowning, read this article, and remember: no matter how wet things get, we’re never more than a call away, and our lines are open 24/7/365.

1. Water damage isn’t always obvious – your vigilance is important.

As with anything else, inattention can lead to big problems. Your property can fall victim to major water damage even without something so obvious as a flood or a water main as the culprit. Here are some things to keep your eyes open for:

• If you see mold, get your phone. It’s the surest sign of a problem shy of puddles.
• If you’ve got peeling tiles in your bathroom, there is excessive moisture behind them that could be a sign of impending issues.
• If you see discolored patches on the walls or ceilings, you’ve almost definitely got a leak, and that could lead to soft walls.
• A leaky tap or pipe could be a sign that you’re headed for a larger plumbing disaster. An ounce of prevention (in this case, a plumber) could save you from needing Doan Restoration MI to bring the pound of cure.
• Nothing is a more immediate threat than standing water. In addition to being mute testimony to something seriously wrong, pools of water beneath appliances or in corners are breeding grounds for mold and bacteria.

These problems may not be as obvious as three feet of water in your living room – which we’ve also seen – but left untended, they could lead to the kind of damage that necessitates a visit from our water damage restoration technicians.

2. Flood insurance and water damage insurance are not the same things.

Read your policies, folks. Speak to your agents, and make sure that you’re covered for both of those things. If you live in a flood-risk area – and Troy, you do – you may have or desire a policy through the National Flood Insurance Policy. However, that policy is specific to flooding – as in, storm, rain, and river-related water damage.

In case you’re not getting our drift …

That policy will not protect you from faulty plumbing, a leaky roof, an overflowing toilet, or, in some cases, even a public water main break. When those things occur, they must be filed as water damage, not flood damage, and if you haven’t made sure that you’re covered for both, you could be left – if you’ll pardon the poor humor – holding the bag.

Any mistakes when filing a claim are going to slow you down. And any slowdowns are going to impact our work, which is going to increase the water damage to your property. Guess what happens then?

You’ve got it. The bill goes up. We can’t always avoid that.

However, we’ll always do our best to work with you and your insurer to move things along quickly. On that note, you should also work hard to keep on top of your maintenance, as insurers typically do not cover any water damage that could be blamed on a negligent property owner.

3. If you’re wondering when you should call us for water damage restoration, you’ve waited too long.

Once you’ve made sure everyone is safe, your first phone call should be to a water damage restoration contractor like us, even BEFORE you call your insurance company. Sure, you’ve got a lot on your mind, but – as we’ve said a few times now – we’re here to help assume the burden, so it’s in your best interest to get us onsite quickly.

The first few hours after water has gone rogue in your home are sensitive hours. You’ve got to:

• Shut off the water main that supplies your home if it’s a plumbing issue. You’ve got to cut that problem off at the source so it doesn’t worsen.
• Call a water restoration expert – your insurer may recommend one. In fact, we think they just might recommend us. Sure, we’re not the only game in town, but we’ve got over a decade of experience and our customer reviews speak for themselves.
• After speaking to us, call your insurance agent and get the claim paperwork started. That will help when you’re working with us, as well – you’ll want to know as early in the process as possible whether you’re covered by insurance or pay out-of-pocket. (A note on that: if you are paying out-of-pocket, we’ll work with you to keep things manageable!)

Oh, and let’s take a moment to talk about mold …

Why do we need a moment?

Because it only takes moments for mold to become an issue.

That’s right, folks – mold starts to grow and spread in less than 24 hours, and it can – and will – cause extensive secondary damage. It’s a health issue, and a particular danger to anyone with allergies, asthma, or any respiratory issues. If you’re especially unlucky, it could even be toxigenic – meaning that it can produce toxins that can sicken you and others.

Mold remediation will add time and expense to an already difficult process, and it could even render the property uninhabitable. In the case of a home, that’s an obvious problem; but we also do commercial water damage restoration. We bet you don’t want your business to suffer because no one can get in to do their jobs.

4. A history of water damage reduces your property’s resale value.

Buyers often do their homework pretty thoroughly in areas where flooding can occur. Those questions could reveal any past water damage. Even if it was years ago, water damage can leave evidence that appraisers and savvy buyers know how to find. The only way to ensure that you aren’t risking an unwanted value drop is to have the very best restoration companies onsite to remove all traces of the damage and restore the property to its pre-loss glory.

Health issues?

Structural damage?

Mold?

Any buyer with a lick of sense may hear those and wash their hands of the property. The water damage experts at Doan Restoration MI know how to restore your properties in Troy to their bone-dry beauty, though.

5. If your property takes a soaking, you need to take pictures.

In other words:

Document. Everything. Always.

Consider the instinctive process that always follows a motor vehicle accident. Both drivers, if they’re able, take pictures of everything. Then they call the insurance company, or the police, and take the other driver’s information.

A similar principle works well when you’re talking about water damage. Take notes on everything that’s been hit. Take pictures of anything you can while remaining safe. Make lists of everything that can – or can’t – be saved. That evidence is going to matter during the insurance claim process.

If it needed to be washed, note that. If it needed to be thrown away, note that. If you aren’t sure what it needed, take pictures and note that, too. We’ll help, once we’re onsite – our technicians take copious notes and photos during our cleanup and restoration, as well.

6. This is not the time to be a handyman.

We here at Doan Restoration MI have immense respect for the handypersons and Do-It-Yourself enthusiasts of the world. Water damage restoration is not something we recommend taking on, however. The Institution of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) is the group responsible for the standards associated with water cleanup in the USA, and they’ve defined the types of water damage.

First, they group it by category, which depends on what kind of liquid has caused the damage.

• Category 1 liquids are clean drinking water. Toilet tanks (not bowls), drinking fountains, faucets, showers, the pipes that carry clean water to those things … any sanitary source. Category 1, as the IICRC clearly notes, can become Category 2 if left unattended to.
• Category 2 is gray water damage. Gray water could be dangerous to ingest. Appliances like dishwashers and washing machines cause gray water leaks, so do the drain traps below sinks, and so do toilet bowls, when they contain urine but not feces.
• Category 3 is downright dangerous liquid. Sewage backup, flooding from rivers and lakes, toilet bowls that do contain fecal matter, and stagnant standing water. Ingesting Category 3 water can cause illness or death.

Then the IICRC groups it by class, which is a measure of how destructive the water has been.

• In Class 1 cases, only part of a room or rooms has been affected. It evaporates relatively slowly, involves little or no carpeting, and is relatively easy to mitigate. Professionals are needed, but the property can be restored to pre-loss condition fairly easily. This is a serious nuisance, not a clear and present danger.
• In Class 2 cases, entire rooms are affected. So are carpets and cushioning. Moisture is in the walls, and perhaps even the subflooring. This class of water damage can be quite dangerous and will lead to mold damage and worse if restoration companies don’t get onsite and put their water restoration contractors to work.
• In Class 3 cases, things are really bad. The water has the fastest evaporation rate. Ceilings, floors, walls, everything is wet and compromised. Buildings that suffer Class 3 water damage go one of two ways – either technicians get onsite quickly and work very hard to save the property, or they don’t get there in time, and the property is inevitably declared uninhabitable.
• Class 4 cases are specific. This happens when normally impermeable structures – such as those made of brick, or concrete, or hardwood floors – have had enough time to soak and are compromised. This calls for different drying techniques and specialized equipment.

That’s a lot to process.

We know. And while we don’t want to frighten anyone, we do think it’s important that you take this very seriously and call professionals. If you try to manage it yourself with a wet/dry vacuum, all of the fans you own, and a consumer-grade dehumidifier, you’re unlikely to get the job done right. And if you aren’t wearing safety gear, you could become sick, or worse, trying to accomplish something that requires trained professionals and the proper gear.

Remember – Doan Restoration MI is local, always around, and the state’s foremost authority on water damage restoration Troy. We’ll keep you safe and dry. Give us a call today at (586) 842-8142 for fast, friendly assistance.