Water Loss – What will you be doing in my home?

First off, we will classify the water damage as defined by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration (IICRC) S500 Water Damage Restoration Standard. We will determine based on the source of the water, and how long it has been since the initial damage. Then, we will start the process for drying, demolition, and decontamination based on what “Category” of water it is.

Category 1: Water is a sanitary water source that does not pose a substantial risk from dermal (skin), ingestion, or inhalation exposure. Examples include – broken supply line, tub or sink overflows with no contaminates, broken toilet tanks, appliance malfunctions with supply lines.

Category 2: Water contains significant contamination and has potential to cause discomfort or sickness. Examples: Discharge from dishwashers, overflows from toilet bowl (some urine, no feces), broken aquariums, punctured water beds, and seepage due to hydrostatic pressure.

Category 3: Water is grossly contaminated and can contain pathogens, toxigenic or other harmful agents. Examples: Sewage, toilet backflows that are beyond the trap, ground surface water, rising water from steams and rivers.

Category 1 and 2 can easily become a Category 3 if it is left untreated for too long. This is why we do not do estimates for water losses.

Below is a chart that explains what work we do for each category: