Mitigation vs. Restoration

5/20/2019 (Permalink)

Building owners and property managers are likely to hear about mitigation when arranging for damage restoration. Mitigation should precede restoration, and storm or water damage may become more difficult and costly to restore without timely mitigation. 

Limiting Damage

The goal of mitigation is to limit the severity of damage to a structure. In the event of storm damage, this phase may involve the following measures:

• Boarding up broken windows
• Tarping over roof damage
• Extracting standing water
  
  

The first two methods can prevent more contaminated water from leaking into a structure and keep out debris. Standing water from a flood or sewer backup is contaminated and will continue to degrade until it is pumped out of a structure.

Preventing Secondary Damage

A flood cleanup company can eliminate the types of primary damage that are prone to cause secondary damage. Clean water and contaminated water can both lead to the following forms of damage:

• Corrosion
• Mold growth
• Rot
• Ruined building materials or contents
  
  

Rely on the expertise of trained professionals to determine whether porous contents or materials such as drywall or insulation should be torn out and replaced. A mitigation and restoration company can provide a variety of cleaning methods and rebuild a damaged structure.

Restoring Damage

Restoration can commence as soon as the area affected by storm or water damage is completely dry. This phase of the process involves rebuilding, returning cleaned contents or replacement items and taking other measures to restore a structure to pre-damage condition.

Some companies specialize in either mitigation or restoration. An all-in-one company provides both services. It is easier to guarantee a seamless transition from mitigation to restoration and a more accurate estimate when the process is started and finished by a certified flood cleanup company in.

If you need any help with mitigation or restoration, call the professionals of SERVPRO of Northbrook/Wheeling/Glencoe at (847)498-8889.