What’s The Difference Between Mitigation and Restoration?
When property damage first occurs, a homeowner may feel frightened and overwhelmed with what to do. A roof leak may have caused serious water damage to the interior of a home, a fire may have caused smoke to encapsulate a home, or wind could have knocked a tree into the exterior of a home. Regardless of what caused the property damage, it is crucial that two steps are taken in order to properly fix the damage: mitigation and restoration. But what’s the difference between mitigation and restoration? Properly understanding what these processes do will educate you on what to expect when calling a mitigation and restoration company, as well as what you are entitled to as an insured.
What Is Mitigation?
The first step in resolving property damage is calling a professional restoration and mitigation company in Rhode Island. After that, a mitigation team is sent to your property. This mitigation crew will enter the property. But, what does a mitigation compnay do? The goal of mitigation is to get the cause of damage under control and remove anything that is causing or will cause future damage. For example, if a roof is leaving causing water damage to the ceiling of a bedroom, the goal of mitigation would be to 1) patch the leaky roof to prevent further damage and 2) remove the affected wet area of the ceiling and place drying equipment in the room to prevent mold from growing. The goal of this job was fulfilled as the cause of the damage (roof) was fixed, the affected areas (ceiling) were removed and drying equipment was placed in the room to prevent further damage. Then, we are finished with mitigation and restoration is our next step.
Restoration
Now that mitigation has been completed and the situation has been stabilized and resolved, the property is still left in a post-mitigation state. To go back to our example, the wet bedroom ceiling has been removed and the moisture has been taken out of the air, making it stable, but the hole in the ceiling is still there. Now it is time for a restoration team to enter the property to repair all the cuts, patches, and temporary fixes that have been done during the mitigation phase to match what the property looked like before any damage occurred. The goal of restoration is to restore the property to pre-loss conditions. The restoration team will enter the damaged property and everything to ensure it looks like the damage never even happened. If we go back to our example, after the situation has been stabilized by the mitigation team, the restoration team will enter the property. They will begin fixing the damages including re-doing the roof, plastering the ceiling in the bedroom, and painting the bedroom. By doing this, the restoration team has completed its goal of restoring the property to pre-loss conditions. Restoration and mitigation have both been completed, and you, the insured, can breathe easily.
Let’s Recap
Through mitigation, the cause of the loss is controlled and anything that has or will cause damage is removed. Thorough restoration, the property is restored to pre-loss conditions. As the insured, you are entitled to both restoration and mitigation, so rest easy knowing that you do not have to pay out of pocket to ensure you and your family are safe. To property ensure the situation is handled by professionals, call us at 401-834-3473 so that you will be at peace of mind knowing you have a reliable and knowledgeable staff working around the clock to make sure you are safe. Contact us today to learn more about our mitigation and restoration services and how we can help you.
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