Trouble on the Job: Water Damage
Has this happened to you? While removing a client’s old floors, you notice that the plywood subfloor is warped or swollen. Or, perhaps there are telltale signs of water damage—water stains, swelled wood or water blisters—in the ceiling that you are about to paint for a client. You go to the basement to work on the plumbing and the nasty remains of a sewage leak are all too evident. Before you start doing the work that you’ve been contracted to do, what should you do?
Any water or sewage damage needs to be addressed before you move ahead on the job, in order to determine if there is still an ongoing issue that needs to be repaired and the area remediated.
Damage from flooding or sewage backups brings with it unsafe and unsanitary conditions and left untreated, can wreak havoc on the property and the health of the homeowners or building tenants, as well as you and your crew. Water damage can result in mold growth, and wastewater is full of harmful bacteria, fungus, viruses and parasites. Both can potentially result in short-term and long-term serious health issues.
Get Help
Finding water and sewage damage can be a stressful situation for you and for your client. But, knowing what to do and who to call can take some of the angst out of the situation, results in less disruption, and shows the building or home owner that you not only do your own job well, but have a trustworthy network of professionals to tap into for situations like these. It can also get you and your crew back to work quickly.
The best course of action is to contact a certified restoration and remediation company to inspect the situation. Since your client might not have a trusted contact who does this type of work, it’s a good idea to get to know contractors in your geographic area to recommend. After all, your client trusts you to do the right thing. Help them by recommending experts who have experience properly cleaning, remediating and restoring the property following a leak or sewer backup. Or, if the client prefers to find a water/sewage remediation company on their own, you can help by making sure they know what to look for when vetting a specialist for this type of work. They need to be:
- Licensed in water/sewage remediation
- Certified in this type of work
- Insured
AOA Cleaning and Restoration is all that and more. We have a strong reputation for addressing water and/or sewage damage issues and returning the property back to normal quickly. We will come on site to investigate the situation and present a detailed, written estimate with all services to be provided noted. AOA helps residential and commercial customers throughout northern New Jersey address water damage and sewage issues successfully; our trained professionals are also experts in dealing with mold remediation. Contact us at (201) 848-8600. We can handle the situation from cleanup through complete restoration.
