Ice Damage Restoration and Cleanup Do’s and Don’ts

Ice damage restoration is a long and difficult job. Ice damage is water damage’s larger brother, and it can provide some complications to standard water damage restoration. Ice damage restoration can be tackled by homeowners or property managers, but don’t be a hero: if the task is too large, call professionals.

Don’t Just Melt Ice

This may go without saying, but whatever you do, don’t just melt the ice without a plan. Ice is better than water in one way. Ice doesn’t spread everywhere. Water will run all over floors, down walls, and spread its damage as far as it can. Yikes! That’s not fun. You want to be sure that you’re not making things worse as you try to make them better.

Before melting ice, remove everything from the area that you can. If anything has managed to stay dry, keep it that way! Make sure you have buckets and mops on hand. If possible, simply mop the ice away a little as a time; don’t try to heat a lot of ice and hope you catch the water before it spreads!

Do Start Your Insurance Claim ASAP

If you have insurance, go ahead and open your claim. Take a lot of pictures and video before you do so, and talk to your insurance company about the best course of action for fixing it. It may be that your insurance company’s policies are more favorable if you use an ice damage restoration company, or some other loopholes you may not know about. Don’t hesitate; call your insurance company ASAP.

Don’t Forget Your Water

If you have ice damage inside a building, identify the cause as soon as you can. If it’s cold enough for ice to form, you don’t want to turn off your water unless you have to, as flowing water is much less likely to freeze in your pipes! If the source of the ice damage is a burst pipe, turning off your water will prevent the pipe from dumping a lot of water once ice melts.

Do Use a Dehumidifier

If it’s safe for you to use electrical appliances, get a dehumidifier running while you work! Spreading dampness from ice damage can be a playground for mold and bacteria. A dehumidifier helps spaces to dry faster by encouraging evaporation. It also makes it harder for spores and germs to hitch a ride to a different part of your building.

Don’t Clean Contaminated Water

If the ice in your home is from a contaminated source like a backed up sewer, don’t try to clean it yourself. Cleaning hazardous material or chemicals is a risk that’s just not worth it. Call a professional and protect your health and safety.

Ice damage can be very difficult to handle. If you’re beyond your depth or dealing with potentially hazardous water, don’t risk it. Call ice damage restoration professionals and be sure everything’s taken care of properly. Otherwise, work slowly, use a dehumidifier, and be sure that the water is off if you have a burst pipe. Ice damage is water damage!