When a water damage disaster occurs in your home don’t make these commons mistakes! It has been known to happen…some Houston homeowners that find their homes affected by water damage attempt to perform water damage restoration tasks on their own, without the proper knowledge or equipment. Of course, it is important to begin the cleaning and restoration process as soon as you notice any water damage but tackling these tasks without the proper training and expertise could make things much, much worse. Well how much worse can you possibly make it? Let’s find out! The following mistakes are common with do-it-yourself water damage restoration projects in the Houston area. Common Mistake #1 Under estimating the importance of getting the job done right the first time. Many homeowners who follow the “do it yourself” approach to water damage restoration tend to underestimate how much damage water cause to a home and how many restoration tasks need to be completed. Completely restoring your home after a water damage event can be a tiring and lengthy process…a process that can become even longer when you aren’t equipped with the proper drying equipment and water detection tools. Failing to follow the proper drying procedures can lead to secondary damage to property that was not affected during the water damage event. The risk of mold growth skyrockets when water damage restoration tasks aren’t completed in a timely manner. Common Mistake #2 Not being completely thorough. As we mentioned earlier, proper water damage restoration requires you to be extremely thorough. Cutting corners can have severe consequences you aren’t prepared for. When it comes to restoration work there aren’t any major shortcuts that will make a big enough difference to risk doing it yourself versus hiring an experienced and certified team of professionals. Water damage restoration requires an investment of time to complete the job and to get it done right the first time. If any hidden water or excess moisture is missed during the cleanup process and new repairs could become compromised with mold growth or additional water damage from hidden leaks you were not aware of. Mistake #3 Failing to act in a timely manner. Just because a water damage disaster occurs doesn’t mean that our day-to-day responsibilities cease to exist. If the water damage event is minor, like a small leak under the bathroom sink, it can be tempting to put off resolving the leak and repairing the damage…come on how much damage could really happen if you put if off for a few hours, a day, or even until the weekend? More than you would expect. That water that was leaking from the bathroom sink found its way under the tile flooring and is causing major damage to your subflooring. Not to mention that the water has now spread from the bathroom to any adjacent rooms. Even if the damage seems to be quite minor, the risk of procrastination is definitely not worth it. Mistake #4 Failing to call a Certified Restoration Company Completing a water damage restoration project requires proper expertise and equipment. The cleaning and restoration process is more involved than you may think. Certified experts, like the team at Total Restoration in Texas, have decades of experience and have already invested in top-quality cleaning and restoration equipment. Performing water damage cleanup and restoration is something these experts do daily.