Water damage brings about a destructive force resulting in various secondary problems that may impact your home and property. Often, it occurs due to situations like HVAC leaks, indoor plumbing overflows, clogged gutters, and faulty appliances (e.g., water heaters). If your home incurs water damage, having immediate repairs done is crucial.
Water damage can have everything in your home submerged for an extended period. If left untreated, water damage can worsen and cause major problems like mold growth and damage to walls. On top of that, your water damage restoration cost will inevitably fluctuate.
Factors That Affect the Cost of Water Damage Repair
The extent of water damage can be misleading when viewed on the surface, as water potentially seeps through the deeper parts of your property. In times like this, calling water damage restoration services addresses immediate issues and mitigates future complications.
Due to the nature of water, the cost of damage may vary. Let’s take a look into some factors that will affect water damage restoration costs.
1. Size of the Affected Area
The larger the damaged area, the more expensive and time-consuming it will be to repair. A larger area would also require more dehumidification before the actual restoration work. Likewise, more extensive damage would mean more materials need repair and replacement.
Generally, it would take more staffing to fix an entire floor or room compared to a few square feet of damage. However, other factors on this list could potentially play a role in making a smaller area incur more extensive damage than a larger one.
2. Type of Water
The type of water can vary from clean to hazardous. Dirtier water entails more precautions and treatments, which translates to higher water damage restoration costs.
There are three categories of water based on the level of hazard it has. These are:
- Category 1: This category involves relatively clean water that is not inherently dangerous to you or your pets. It may leak from sanitary sources like a faucet, toilet tank, or water pipe. It may also come from melted snow. Although Category 1 water is not contaminated, it can still cause damage to your home.
- Category 2: This involves used water, such as water from washing machines or dishwater overflow. Although it does not contain sewage, contaminants are still present. If left standing,
- Category 2 water can have bacteria, which leads it into Category 3.
- Category 3: Often known as “black water,” this category involves harmful chemicals, bacteria, and sewage contamination. It often comes from the sewer and even severe floodwaters. Unfortunately, any belongings that come in contact with water in this category are less likely to be salvageable.
3. Presence of Water
If water is still present on-site, remove it immediately. To do this, experts use special equipment like water pumps, moisture-absorbent materials, and dehumidifiers to clean the water out before they can even begin the restoration process. These conditions lengthen the mitigation process, leading to an added water damage restoration cost.
4. Type of Materials Affected
Water damage restoration costs vary depending on what materials are affected. That’s because different materials react to water differently. To elaborate, let’s take flooring as an example. Regardless of the extent of damage, some floors may be easier to replace in parts while others need complete replacement.
Here’s a closer look at how different types of flooring react to water:
- Vinyl and linoleum floors: This floor type is generally water-resistant. Rather than replacing the whole thing, you may only need to remove individual sections of vinyl flooring to inspect whether the subfloor is damaged or not.
- Laminate floors: Initially, this type of floor’s replacement is in small patches before removing the whole thing and starting over again. Compared to other floors, laminate floors need to be dried quickly, or it won’t be easy to dry once the water goes beneath the surface. Fortunately, installing this floor is easy and affordable.
- Hardwood floors: This floor exhibits damage more quickly than other flooring types, depending on how well-protected they are. Repairing hardwood floors can be done individually if the damage is not extensive.
- Ceramic or stone tile floors: These types of floors are highly water-resistant. As long as the water does not reach the subfloor, minor damage and fewer repairs are needed. It is imperative to make sure that the tiles are well-grouted and sealed. Installation for these floor options costs a little more compared to other types of floors.
- Carpeted floors: Carpets can usually hold a lot of water before reaching the point of water damage. However, one must dry the water-soaked thoroughly to prevent mold growth within the carpet. Drying carpeted floors requires specialized techniques and methods. However, carpets that come in contact with Category 2 water require replacements, while Category 3 requires the replacement of both pad and carpet. It’s best to leave it to the experts to ensure safety and utmost cleanliness.
5. Mold Growth
One of the worst consequences of water damage in homes involves mold and mildew. These substances can cause further damage to your home and may even become a health hazard. To prevent this from developing, one needs to remove excess moisture from the damaged areas. Once mold growth is present, mold mitigation services serve as an additional step to water damage restoration, which means more costs to prevent further threats to your health and house.
6. Time Since the Occurrence of Water Damage
Water damage that is left untreated for prolonged periods results in worse problems. Such problems often come with a more extensive impact calls for more repairs and a higher bill. Also, mold and mildew could potentially develop, and this requires a different set of repairs. That’s why immediately addressing water damage serves as your initial defense against further damage.
What Is Typical Cost for Water Damage Restoration?
In general, water damage restoration would cost between $2700 and $7500. Of these, the average cost for water damage restoration is $5100.
Drying out clean water-damaged areas costs around $2700. On the one hand, water damage restoration for materials like carpets and drywall costs an average of $7,500. It involves water removal, drying, cleanup, decontamination, and sanitization.
Hire Experts for Water Damage Restoration Service
Bring back the comfort and pristine condition of your home with professional water damage restoration services.
As an IICRC-certified company, Deep Water Emergency Services & Restoration houses the best water damage restoration service in Denver, CO. Our 24/7 damage restoration services involve a complete water removal process from drying to cleaning to complete restoration. Contact us today to know more about how we can restore your property to its pre-damaged state.
