If your office sustained heavy damage from a plumbing or ceiling leak, you may wonder if you can save your office and everything in it. If you take the appropriate actions now, you can save some or most of the things in your office. Learn how you can save your office from water damage below.
Remove the Dry Items From the Office
If any of the things in your office appear dry or untouched by water, try to remove them right away. Paper, office equipment, and other items can be affected by moisture and mold later. If you remove the items now, you may be able to keep them intact later.
If possible, place the dry items in an air-conditioned building or storage unit. You want to keep the items dry and aired out as much as possible. After you remove the dry items from your office, move to the next step below.
Circulate Fresh Air Throughout the Office
Moisture is one of the biggest problems you may encounter right now. Moisture attracts a prolific and problematic organism called mold. Sources report that mold grows within 24 to 48 hours after you expose it to moisture. You can keep mold from taking over your office by circulating fresh air through the office.
Air can help dry out or remove moisture from your office until you can have someone restore it. You can air out your office with fans, or you can make the process less stressful on you by having a water damage contractor dry out your office for you.
Restore Your Office
A contractor won't just dry out your office -- they'll also restore it. If your office sits on valuable real estate or in an office complex, you want to save it as quickly as you possibly can. A contractor will take steps to dry and restore your office back to its original state.
A contractor will need to act fast to keep mold at bay. A contractor will first:
- place powerful circulating and drying fans around the office
- isolate the wet rooms in the office from the dry rooms
- assess the water damage in your flooring, walls, and/or ceiling
After the fans dry out your office, a contractor will complete an estimate of the costs to restore it. The estimate will help you decide whether or not you wish to save some items or discard them.
Learn more about drying and restoring your office by calling a water damage contractor.