Water Damage: What Items Can Be the Most Difficult to Restore?
Wooden Furniture
Anything wooden is usually expensive, and therefore something that you will want to save. You have to move water damaged furniture out quickly, though, to get it somewhere that is well-ventilated and warm. You might also benefit from having a fan near the furniture to help.
It will take some effort to restore wood, especially if there are already warped spots. In this case, you will need to bleach the wood and refinish it. You will need to clean and air dry any wooden pieces with fabric too.
Electronics
It can be tough to manage electronic items that have been hit by flood damage, but if they weren’t fully submerged, you may be able to save them. In this case, consider how long it was underwater and how resilient of an item it is.
For example, phones are made to withstand at least some water nowadays, but you will still need to take it to a professional to check if the circuitry is damaged. Unfortunately, many electrical items are difficult to restore from water damage.
Carpeting
Yes, you can restore wet carpeting. Sadly, this may not be true if the water was dirty or if the room was underwater for too long. Once the water is drained, you can dry wet carpeting with fans and humidifiers. After this, shampoo and steam clean it before bleaching the carpeting.
No matter what you do, you should replace carpet padding to make sure that the entire surface remains dry.
Fire Damage: What Items Can Be the Most Difficult to Restore?
Fire damage can feel debilitating, and there’s a lot of work involved in restoring your space. Unfortunately, you cannot save items with odors or total structural damage.
Clothing and Bedding
Anything that is fabric can still be saved, but of course, it cannot be burned or completely stained. Minor soot stains are no problem, though, so you can try washing your clothing to get rid of any smells or stains.
If this doesn’t work, it is best to throw away these fabrics and buy new ones, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Appliances
If your appliances survived the fire without too much damage, they can still be saved. You will need to put a little effort into ensuring they still work though, so first make sure that they are not irreparably damaged. Once you’re sure that they still work, clean them immediately with cooking oil to get any stains out.
Glass and Ceramic
These types of items are a little easier to save, although you will still need to wipe down anything covered in soot. You may also notice some items are stained from the smoke and which you can soak in vinegar and dish soap to get them clean. Ceramics might need some professional cleaning as well. However, if any of these items are cracked or melted, they will be better just to throw away.
Conclusion
Dealing with water or fire damage can be debilitating. It’s a lot to handle, and while you can salvage some items, certain things are extremely difficult to restore and are better off replaced. Check on the condition of the item, how much damage it has, and consider whether it can be saved. It’s vital to call a restoration expert like us as soon as possible so we can assess the damage and get to work restoring as much as possible.