Cleaning & Restoration, in plain English.
Water, fire, smoke and mold, and what restoration actually does.
The lingo.
- Air mover and dehumidifier
- The fans and dehumidifiers left running for days after a water loss. Moisture readings, not the calendar, decide when they come out.
- Biohazard cleanup
- Cleaning after sewage, trauma or hoarding, with protective gear, disinfection and regulated disposal.
- Class of water loss
- How much of the room and its materials are wet, Class 1 (least) to Class 4 (deeply bound in materials). Sets the drying equipment and time.
- Containment
- Plastic barriers and negative air pressure that keep mold spores or smoke soot from spreading to the rest of the house during the work.
- Contents pack-out
- Moving furnishings and belongings out to be cleaned and stored while the house is restored.
- Deep clean
- A top-to-bottom cleaning beyond a regular service: inside appliances, baseboards, fixtures, windows. Common before a move or after construction.
- Extraction
- Pulling standing water out with pumps and vacuums before drying begins.
- HEPA
- High-efficiency particulate air filtration, used in vacuums and air scrubbers to capture mold spores, soot and fine dust.
- IICRC
- The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, whose standards (S500 water, S520 mold) define how restoration is done. Ask whether the technicians are certified.
- Mitigation
- The emergency work that stops damage from getting worse: extraction, drying, board-up, tarp. It comes before repairs, and insurers expect you to start it promptly.
- Moisture mapping
- Meter readings marked on a floor plan to show what is wet and to prove when it is dry.
- Mold remediation
- Containing the area, removing moldy materials, cleaning and drying the rest. Anything over about 10 square feet is beyond a DIY job; the moisture source has to be fixed or it returns.
- Soot and smoke odor
- Fire residue that keeps smelling until surfaces are cleaned or sealed and the air is treated. Thermal fogging, ozone and hydroxyl generators are the usual tools.
- Water damage category
- Category 1 is clean water (a supply line), Category 2 is gray water (a washer or dishwasher), Category 3 is black water (sewage, flood). The category decides what can be dried and what must be removed.
- Xactimate
- The estimating software most insurers and restoration contractors use, so line items and prices line up with the claim.
Guides.
- The first 24 hours after water, fire or mold
What to do right away, what your insurer expects and what a restoration Pro actually does.
- Paying for the work: deposits, draws and financing
How much to pay up front, when progress payments are fair and what to watch in a financing offer.
- Hiring a Pro: five questions before you sign
License, insurance, references, a written scope, and who is actually showing up.
- What a written warranty should say
Workmanship, materials and the difference between them. What to ask for and how to make a claim.
- How to read a contractor's estimate
Compare scopes, not prices. What every line on a good estimate means and the questions to ask before you sign.
Reading list.
Articles from around the internet that our Pros trust. They open on the source's site.
- IICRC · Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification
The standards body for water, fire and mold restoration, with a directory of certified firms.
- Mold · U.S. EPA
Mold basics, cleanup guidance and when to bring in a professional.
- Prepare for disasters · Ready.gov (FEMA)
Preparing for floods, storms and fires, and the first steps after one.
From the Pros.
Written by the people who do this work every day, in your area.
The first posts from Cleaning & Restoration Pros are on their way.
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