The Hidden Hazards of DIY Water Cleanup: Insights from Restoration Expert Chad Mallonee

What Are The Risks In Homeowners Cleaning Up Their Own Water Damage?

Discover the unseen perils of DIY water damage cleanup as Chad Mallonee from Hazard Clean Restoration joins us to reveal the complexities that homeowners often overlook. With his extensive knowledge, Chad breaks down the deceptive nature of seemingly dry materials and the alarming rate at which mold can develop, emphasizing the hidden dangers that can escalate into health risks and structural damage. His insights into the nuanced science behind professional water extraction and restoration will leave you questioning the safety of tackling such tasks without expert assistance.

This episode is not just about the risks, but also a deep dive into the advanced equipment and techniques that set professionals apart. Chad walks us through the use of moisture meters, thermal imaging, and the strategic application of dehumidifiers and air movers, making a compelling case for the invaluable expertise that professionals bring to water damage restoration. For homeowners and the curious-minded, Chad's discussion is an eye-opening look at what goes into restoring a home to its safe, livable state, including how insurance often plays a pivotal role in these situations. Join us for this informative session that could save you not just time and money, but potentially your health as well.

To learn more about Hazard Clean Restoration visit:
https://hazardclean.net/
Hazard Clean Restoration
772-259-5018

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
family on the road to recovery, one episode at a time
.
Here's your host and owner ofHazard Clean Restoration, chad
Melody.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Explore the potential risk involved when homeowners
attempt to clean up their ownwater damage in an upcoming
interview with the owner ofHazard Clean Restoration.
Welcome back everyone.
This is Garfield Bowen, co-hostslash producer, back in the
studio with Chad Maloney.
Chad, how are you doing today?

Speaker 3 (00:32):
Doing great.
Garfield, happy to be here,glad to be here.
So, Chad, what are the risks inhomeowners cleaning up their
own water damage?
So you know water damage canreally take the place from a
variety of different methods.
You know, from burst pipes,from overflowing tubs, sinks,
everything you know.

(00:53):
And also you have floods,hurricanes, some natural,
different natural disasters.
And you know it'sunderstandable at times for
homeowners to think like, hey,you know, I'll just do it myself
, I'll get a shop vac, I'llextract the water and we'll be
good and really restoring thathome to a safe and livable state

(01:14):
.
It goes a lot further than that.
Often materials can look drybut they're actually not dry.
They're actually retainingmoisture inside.
So you can touch it and feel itand it looks completely dry,
but it actually retainingmoisture inside.
So you can touch it and feel itand it looks completely dry,
but it actually has moistureinside in there.
And what will happen there isthat moisture will release over

(01:34):
time, depending on the type ofmaterial and the amount of
moisture that's in there, andyou'll start developing some the
bad word the mold issues.
Also, it can lead to structuralissues and weakening the
structure over time as well.
You know, with mold.
It can start forming within 24,48 hours after water damage and

(01:56):
once it's there, it can be ahealth menace and it's also, you
know, it can be hard to get ridof, depending on the type of
water that comes in.
Not only could you be dealingwith structural issues mold but
you also could be dealing withcontamination because, depending
on where that water originatedfrom, you could be dealing with

(02:17):
viruses, parasites, bacteria,those types of things, and you
don't want those in your homeand those can linger, you know,
if they're not clean and takencare of properly.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
So I guess there's tools that you have that they
probably don't that can see ifthere's moisture stuck in behind
the sheetrock or the wood paneland so forth.
Talk about that a little bit.

Speaker 3 (02:41):
Well.
So it's a great question.
It's not just the tools butit's the techniques and training
.
So you know there's moisturemeters that you could purchase
and try to look, but if you'renot properly trained you're not
going to know exactly what themoisture content should be for
that given material use.

(03:05):
You know thermal imagingcameras and a variety of
different methods to reallyunderstand where that water is
and you know in hidden spotsthat you can't really see with
the naked eye.
You know.
Furthermore, depending on thetype of water, you know that.
You know we look at it from thestandpoint of the health and
making sure that you know we'readdressing.
You know, depending on the typeof water, you know, like I said
before, any kind of microbialsthat could be now in your home,

(03:31):
which is not really where youwant them.
And then, when it gets to, youknow the process of actually
removing water out of thematerials.
You know there's actually a lotof science to it.
It's not just as putting somefans on it and anything.
There's actually a lot ofscience on.
You know there's actually a lotof science to it.
It's not just as putting somefans on it or anything.
There's actually a lot ofscience on.
You know taking the moistureout through dehumidification,

(03:52):
the different types ofdehumidifiers you may utilize
and the amount of airspeed thatyou may utilize, and you know
the amount of actually equipmentthat you would need in a given
area to effectively and mosteffectively remove that water
out of the type of material thatit's in.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
And does insurance usually pick up most of this?

Speaker 3 (04:16):
It's a great question Insurance, depending on the
cause of loss and what occurred,many times insurance will take
care of it.
You know they with insurancethey would rather a professional
take care of it, because theyknow that if a professional
doesn't take care of it and it'skind of done through like a
shop vac or a handyman typesituation, that can lead to

(04:39):
further damage to that property.
It could lead to, you know,mold issues, health issues, a
variety of different issues, andthe insurance company would
rather a restoration companysuch as Hazard Clean come out
immediately and address thewater damage than for it to kind
of linger and then for theadditional either structural

(05:02):
damage that the water can causeor the additional health issues
and everything else that thewater can cause, or mold or
whichever.
And so when it gets past theinitial stage, the cost to
actually fix that water damagecan increase dramatically.
And so that's why insurancecompanies and most of the

(05:22):
insurance policies out there,you know, basically have some
language in there that say thatyou know, you know for the
homeowner to address itimmediately and not let it kind
of linger, you know, linger on.

Speaker 2 (05:37):
So they don't want to play with Moe, you know, they
just need to get a professionaljob and let your insurance pay
for it, right?

Speaker 3 (05:45):
Yeah, because that's exactly what the insurance
company would want theirhomeowners to do is to have a
professional come in and takecare of it, because then they
know, even from a liabilitystandpoint, that now that home
is back to its original state,they don't have to worry about
it If it's done by someone who'snot trained or not a

(06:06):
professional in it.
You know they, you, thehomeowner, may think that the
the home has been, you know,properly dried out, uh, the
materials don't have any waterin it, but then that that
insurance company gets a callmaybe a couple months later, and
now there's mold issues.
And they, you know.
So the insurance company had topay, you know, for whatever
work to be done prior.
So the insurance company had topay, you know, for whatever

(06:26):
work to be done prior.
And now the insurance companyhas to pay for, you know,
someone to come in that's alicensed mold assessor or
mediator in the state of Floridato really now address that, and
the costs just continue tobuild.
So they just immediately, oncethey have a water event in their
home, call a restorationcompany such as Hazard Clean.

(06:47):
We'll be out there and takecare of it and the homeowner and
the insurance company,everyone's happy.

Speaker 2 (06:54):
So Hazard Clean will get it done for you, right?
Yes, sir, Listen, Chad.
You have a wonderful rest ofthe day.
We'll see you in the nextepisode.

Speaker 3 (07:01):
You too, Garfield, Take care.

Speaker 1 (07:03):
Bye everyone to you, Garfield, Take care.
Bye everyone.
Thanks for listening to theRestoration Revolution podcast,
where recovery starts here.
Let us help put your family onthe road to recovery.
Go to hazardcleannet or call772-259-5018.

(07:24):
That's 772-259-5018.