Flooding as well as Water Damage could be ravaging to your house and possessions. A lot of people do not consider the fact that there are various types of problems related to flooding and several causes. The type of damage caused by water in your home will determine the suitable course of action to get the problem resolved so you can return to normal life in your residence.

One of the first considerations is how the flooding happened. Flooding can occur in storm periods or near bodies of water from the outside environment near the residence. Flood damage is a common problem after a fire, due to the fact that what is necessary to extinguish the fire affects several areas in the house. However, flooding can also come from inside the home, from broken or malfunctioning plumbing or pipe work. When you find the source of excess water, you can determine the type of water causing damage in your house.

There are three main classifications of water: clean, gray, and black. Clean water has very few harmful substances in it, for example, when water supply lines are broken, spilling forth clean, fresh water. It can certainly still cause water damage, but there is little chance of bacteria or chemicals causing illness following the flooding. When sinks or tubs spillover, the water is also usually considered clean. Gray water, formally referred to as category 2 water, can cause sicknesses and physical problems because the amount of pollutants in the water is considerable. These impurities may be chemical, biological, and/or physical. Gray water will have micro-organisms present as well. Some good examples of water damage with category 2 implications are sump pump breakdowns, flows from dishwashers, defective washing machines, or leaking toilets(containing urine but not feces). Black water, or category 3 water, has a serious level of toxins and is very unsanitary. This water is highly disposed to induce physical issues, illness, or discomfort. Black water has microorganisms, fungi, chemical pollutants, and other dangerous materials. Category 3 water damage may emerge from lakes, streams, rivers, seawater, ground surface water, sewage leaks, overrunning toilets with fecal material, and stationary water that stands for 48-72 hours after a category 1 or 2 flood problem. The standing of the water increases its dangerous contaminants. Black water clean-up requires the use of protective gear and specific gear to prevent disease or wellness problems as well as safeguard the structure. Trusting clean up and restoration to experts can assist you get your house back rapidly and safely.

Water Damage Restoration

Water Damage Defined

Water damage can be defined as the damage to real estate or personal property by the encroachment of water. Flooding is a somewhat common occurrence with homes and businesses. Whenever flood damage happens, it can be a traumatic experience for the resident. In some cases, the resident is required to leave their business or residence until the restoration work is completed. This can, at times be a large inconvenience to the resident and can result in loss of income to the business.

How Water Problems Occur

There are many reasons that a home or business could become water damaged. One way water damage can occur is because of flooding due to rainstorms or other water accumulations. A second way that water damage can occur is due pipes and interior plumbing in buildings breaking and leaking water. This kind of damage can occur quickly, as in the case of a pipe breaking and suddenly discharging water or slowly due to a slow leak in a pipe that leaks for weeks or months until it's discovered. Whatever the initial cause for the water damage, it is important that the leak is stopped and the property is dried as soon as possible. Otherwise, additional damage may occur in the form of mold.

What To Do When an Emergency Occurs

When the property owner discovers that flooding or discharge of water has occurred on their property, the first thing they should do is, if possible, stop the leak by turning off the water. They should then contact a professional plumber immediately if the cause of the flooding is because of a pipe leak. If necessary, the plumber might need to call in a water damage restoration company to dry and remove the water from the property and restore the property to its original condition. It is absolutely critical that the property owner not delay in calling in professionals as the longer the water is allowed to remain, the higher the probability that mold will grow. If mold is allowed to grow on the property, the scope of the damage is greatly increased as is the cost to repair the damage.

Water Damage - Cleaning and Drying

The Water Damage Restoration Technician test by the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification). Water Damage Restoration Technician is a designation that a professional restorer needs to prove that he or she is compiling with the most prevalent standards in the restoration industry. It has become increasingly important for a professional who is performing water damage restoration services to have "WRT" designation. Most companies that hire you require it and insurance companies that hire the companies that provide the service require that their technicians be certified.

Since I first took my class ninteen years ago, the material and the test have evolved greatly. There is a lot more information. The class used to be a two day class, but now it is a three day class. There are also five day classes offered that let you take the WRT/ASD (Applied Structural Drying) together. The newest WRT update was published in April of 2006. It is approved by ANSI (Approved National American Standards).

Important items you should know about the test:

Get the book from your teacher prior to attending the class (if possible). Read a few pages everyday. Usually the highlighted parts in the manual are extremely important to know and will defnitely be seen on your test.

C) All of the above

D) None of the above

(7) What does H.A.T.T an acronym for?

A) Hot, Alveolar, Temperature, Test

B) Hydrostatic, Absorption, Toxicity, Threshold Limit Value

C) Haitian Cotton, Absorption, Textile, Temperature

D) Humidity, Airflow, Temperature, Time

It isn't as easy as you think. If you have taken the carpet cleaning technician test before or the upholstery cleaning technician test before, you should know that unless you have a background in Biology, you will have to study hard to pass this one.

Since I received a deluge of requests from people wanting to know the answers to test for CCT. I thought I would just add a link on the my website with the answers. Visit the Magic Wand Company website below and select the Article tab then WRT Test Answers.

The purpose of the test is to make sure that a technician learns as much as possible to do his/her job well. I would be happy to help you in your endeavor to learn. Whether you need carpet cleaning supplies or restoration supplies or not, you are welcome to contact me.

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