Water damage in an attic often comes as a terrible surprise. You may have no idea there's a roof leak until you see water stains spread across your ceiling, and by then, there could be significant damage in your attic. Calling in a water damage restoration company is the safe way to deal with this type of water damage. Here are some things they may need to do.

Make A Plan And Contact Other Contractors

The first step is an assessment of the damage so other contractors can be brought in if necessary. The roof needs to be repaired as quickly as possible or more rain will enter the attic and hamper the restoration process. Also, if the rain affected electrical wiring or outlets, an electrician might need to make repairs. One thing the restoration company decides is what has to be thrown away and what can stay and be restored. For instance, if fiberglass or cellulose insulation is wet, it will probably need to be taken out of the attic and new insulation installed once the attic is dried out.

Also, if you have things stored in your attic such as boxes of clothes or old furniture, they may need to be checked for dampness and mold. It's possible that you'll need to remove all your belongings and throw out some that have water damage.

Remove Mold From The Attic

If mold is present, it has to be removed safely without dispersing the spores throughout your house. This might involve cutting out moldy wood, sealing the mold, or killing the mold and scrubbing it off the hard surfaces in the attic. If mold is on the insulation, it will probably be bagged up, sealed, and removed from the attic even if the insulation isn't soaked. Anything that is able to soak up water and that has mold damage might have to be thrown out since porous materials too difficult to dry out quickly.

Repair Water-Damaged Wood

The floor of the attic which is the ceiling of the room below might need to be replaced because if it's soaked, it might not be easy to dry out. Plus, if wet insulation put too much weight on it, the ceiling might be sagging and in danger of collapse. By removing materials that are damaged or wet, the attic will dry out quicker. The restoration company will check all the wood in the attic to make sure it is dry or can be dried. If that's not possible, some of the wood might need to be replaced, especially if it has rotted.

Dry Out The Humidity

One final step in drying out the attic is removing humidity from the air. This might be done with air dryers or a dehumidifier. The restoration company can check humidity levels with a meter to tell when the attic is sufficiently dry and no longer in danger of growing mold or causing further damage.

Repairing water damage in an attic can be hard work when the attic is small and there's hardly room to move around. Even if the attic is spacious, the cleanup can be complex due to the presence of insulation and mold. Bringing in a restoration company is the best way to protect yourself from mold exposure and to make sure your attic is dried out properly so no further problems will arise after the roof leak is repaired.