Water Mitigation vs. Water Restoration: What’s the Difference? – How Water Restoration Services Work: Process, Costs, and More

Water damage can inflict unexpected harm on your home.¹ A pipe might burst and flood your basement while you’re away, or a faulty dishwasher could suddenly leak, saturating your kitchen’s hardwood floor. A spring storm might compromise a leaking roof, leading to structural water damage within your house.² These are just a few scenarios where both water mitigation and water restoration services become essential.

However, understanding the distinction between water mitigation and water restoration is key. A clear grasp of the restoration process illuminates the actions taken by water damage restoration professionals and sets realistic expectations for their work in your home or property. Let’s delve into the differences below.

What is Water Damage Mitigation?

Water damage mitigation is the proactive process of preventing further water damage to your property and belongings.³ This process involves using specialized equipment and techniques to minimize loss, including:

Removing damaged furniture and materials: This often includes items like drywall and flooring.⁴
Cleaning and disinfecting salvageable materials: Treating items that can be saved to prevent mold and bacteria growth.⁵
Ensuring the home’s structural stability: Taking steps to secure the integrity of the building.
Extracting water and drying out the home: Utilizing commercial-grade equipment for thorough water removal and drying.⁶
Protecting the integrity of the home: This involves measures like boarding up windows, applying tarps, and other necessary precautions to prevent additional harm.⁷

It’s important to note that water damage mitigation services are not designed to repair or replace damaged property.⁸ Their primary purpose is to stop the disaster from escalating and causing more severe consequences. While mitigation can prevent further damage, it’s often a temporary solution, setting the stage for more comprehensive repairs.⁹

What is Restoration?

Restoration for water damage focuses on the comprehensive repair and rebuilding of a home or property after it has sustained water damage.¹⁰ Following the water mitigation process, trained water damage restoration specialists concentrate on reconstructing and rebuilding your home through various applications.¹¹ The restoration process aims to help homeowners fully recover from all damage. Although the specific steps a restoration company takes will largely depend on the extent of the water damage, typical restoration services often include:

Replacing damaged walls and flooring: Installing new materials where old ones are beyond repair.
Eliminating mold: Professional remediation to remove existing mold and prevent its return.
Repairing roof damage: Addressing leaks or structural issues caused by water.¹²
Conducting humidity and moisture testing: Ensuring all moisture-related issues have been completely resolved to prevent future problems.

The main objective of water damage restoration is to return the home to its pre-loss condition.¹³ Since comprehensive repairs cannot commence until all water damage problems have been thoroughly addressed, the water restoration process can only begin once the water mitigation phase has concluded.¹⁴

Differences Between Water Restoration and Water Mitigation

Water mitigation services will always be performed first, as they are focused on preventing further damage and safeguarding your property and belongings.¹⁵ Water restoration services then follow, specifically designed to repair the existing damage caused by water to your property.

While water mitigation and water restoration services can theoretically be performed separately, most professional restoration companies integrate both methods to effectively restore a home after water damage.¹⁶

Common Misconceptions About Water Restoration and Mitigation

There are several prevalent misconceptions regarding water restoration and mitigation procedures. Here are three of the most common, along with the factual clarifications:

“It’s more cost-effective to replace than to restore.”
In many situations, engaging a water restoration company to clean and salvage your home’s structure and materials is actually less expensive than a complete replacement. An experienced restoration company can accurately assess which materials are salvageable and which genuinely require replacement.17
“Your carpets and walls will dry on their own.”
While carpets and drywall may appear to dry on the surface over time, the critical issue is that moisture can remain hidden underneath and behind these materials. This hidden moisture puts you and others at risk of health problems stemming from mold exposure, a risk not worth taking.18 A professional restoration company employs advanced meters and sensors to precisely measure moisture levels and effectively reduce the risk of mold growth.19
- Note: While white vinegar can help eliminate small traces of mold, extensive mold infestations necessitate professional remediation.²⁰ A mold remediation company possesses the expertise to effectively remove significant mold growth.
“It’s more cost-effective to handle the water mitigation and restoration process on your own.”
While this might hold true in very minor cases, a poorly executed repair can ultimately cost you more in the long run. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the task of cleaning up after a flood can be too challenging or dangerous to undertake alone.

Call the Experts at ServiceMaster Restore to Deal with Water Damage on Your Property

If you require assistance with water mitigation and restoration after an emergency, contact the experts at ServiceMaster Restore. Our technicians are available 24/7, every day of the year, to help return your home to normalcy as quickly as possible.

Whether you need water damage or storm damage repair, we are here to help. Contact us today to learn more about our water damage services and how we can assist you in rebuilding after the worst has occurred.