Our inspection will reveal the class of water damage and category of water. There are four classes of water damage that describe the extent of the remediation process.

Class one refers to the least amount of water damage. Class four damage is the most extensive. But it is actually class three water damage that is the worst. Also, Class three damage involves water coming from the ceiling to the floor below.

Categories of water determine the level of contamination. Urgent Island Restoration follows procedures according to these categories to prevent the spread of illnesses.

Category one means that the water comes from a clean source, like a water spigot. Often with category one water damage, we can perform what is called “dry in place”. To expedite dry time holes are drilled base level in the wall. Carpet is detached and floated during drying, and little to no removal of structural material is needed to complete the remediation process.

Water from the washing machine or the dishwasher is “grey water.” This is category two and means that the water has detergents and other potentially hazardous substances. In these cases we can still dry in place, however a detailed cleaning of all affected surfaces is required before setting drying equipment

Category three is the most dangerous because the water comes from a dirty source, such as the sewer system. Our remediation team will need to wear Hazmat suits and other personal safety gear when handling water from category three sources. In these instances NO DRYING will take place on porous material such as, drywall, cabinets, and wood or laminate floors. All porous material will need to be cut out, removed and disposed of due to the bacteria levels present in water. Containment is set up to prevent any cross contamination. The only drying process is to any wood framing that has absorbed moisture. After drying the framing is sanded to ensure a nice clean finish on wood framing.

Category four water damage involves specialized situations where materials with very low porosity or absorbance have been submerged and saturated. This includes hardwood, concrete, plaster and masonry typically located in subfloors, basements and crawl spaces.

Also, It is important to note that categories with water can change over time. After 72 hours, category one water can turn into category three.