How long should it take a restoration company in Florida to extract water from your home?

If you’ve experienced water damage in your Florida home, whether from a burst pipe, leaky roof, or other flooding event, you know that water extraction is a crucial first step. Removing all that excess water quickly is important to limit further damage and mold growth. But how long should this water removal process take?  The answer depends on several factors, including the amount of standing water, the type of materials impacted, the availability of equipment and technicians, and the protocols followed.

Water extraction process

Water extraction, also called water removal or flood extraction, is the process of pumping out excess water from a structure and properly disposing of it.

1. Initial Assessment – The restoration technician will evaluate the water damage, take moisture readings, and determine the water removal equipment needed.
2. Set Up – Equipment like pumps, hoses, and dehumidifiers are strategically placed around the property.
3. Pumping – Water is pumped out and discharged away from the structure. It is the main extraction process.
4. Drying – Depends on factors like humidity but usually involves positioning fans and dehumidifiers.
5. Moisture Testing – Technicians use metering equipment to check for remaining moisture. Additional drying or extraction may be needed.
6. Disinfection – Applying EPA-registered disinfectants to control mold and bacteria damagecontrol-911.com check more info here.
7. Deodorization – Using chemicals and air scrubbers to remove musty odors.
8. Removal of Damaged Materials – Wet drywall, insulation, carpeting, etc. is removed.

The extraction step is at the front end of this process, but drying, disinfection, and removing water-logged materials also play an important role. The full restoration process can take weeks or months for large losses.

 Professional Florida restoration company

The factors that influence water extraction timeframes, what should you expect from a professional restoration firm in Florida?

• Initial response in 1-2 hours – After promptly contacting a restoration company following water damage, technicians should arrive within the first couple hours to begin assessing the situation and prepare equipment.
• Water removal in 24-48 hours – For a typical-sized home (2,000 – 3,000 square feet) with flooding on one level, a professional team should be able to extract the majority of water within 24-48 hours.
• Drying/dehumidifying in 3-5 days – Once water has been removed, drying and dehumidifying the area using blowers, dehumidifiers, and air movers typically takes 2-4 days.
• Complete drying in 5-7 days – For homes with soaked drywall, insulation, and other very absorbent materials, drying takes up to 7 days though should be significantly completed within 5 days.
• Large homes add time – For larger homes exceeding 3,000 square feet, you would expect the timeframes above to be longer. Pumping and drying a 5,000-square-foot flooded home could take 7-10 days.
• Extensive damage ads time – If the flooding permeates walls, ceilings, and large areas of your home, the water removal and drying phases will be lengthened. This is especially true if extensive demolition of wet materials is required.

While every water damage situation has unique circumstances, you use these general timeframes to gauge the efficiency of a professional Florida restoration company. Any contractor claiming to complete the process much faster or stringing the services out for weeks on end should raise red flags.