Though Denver is renowned for how much sunshine it gets – about 300 days per year – it’s also a city at risk of destructive floods. For instance, the massive floods of 2013 caused over $4 billion of damage to properties and resulted in 10 deaths, with various floods in the 20th century being similarly devastating.

Hopefully, you’ll never experience the full brunt of a catastrophic flood. But this information makes it clear that flooding can be a problem, requiring you to find the right flood cleanup services to get your home back on track. Following these tips is the key to finding professionals who can tackle flood damage.

Tip 1 – Always Start with Experience

Experience is often an indicator of quality.

For instance, a company that’s successfully operated for several decades can only do so if it has a consistent stream of customers. That stream comes from providing quality services, with the word of mouth and general goodwill those services generate contributing to the flood cleanup service’s longevity.

So, look for experience.

Start with the flood cleanup company’s website, looking for any mentions of the number of years they’ve existed or the amount of experience individual employees offer. If you can’t find that information, give the company a call. Ask the experience question directly and quiz the company about any examples of previous work it can highlight to back its claims.

Tip 2 – Check for Certification

Colorado doesn’t require water restoration companies in the state to have any formal certification. Unfortunately, that lack of a requirement opens the door to chancers and inexperienced contractors who may claim they can handle flood cleanup despite having no demonstrable experience.

Thankfully, there’s a saving grace – optional professional certifications.

A cleanup technician who’s taken the time to obtain an optional certification from an appropriate licensing body demonstrates their commitment to improving their craft. They also make themselves more accountable, both to you as their customer and to the certifying body that granted their qualification.

Look for the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), particularly in the field of water damage restoration. Technicians who complete this training course have demonstrable knowledge related to handling water loss, contamination, and sewage back flow, all of which are issues you’ll face with flood damage.

Tip 3 – Consider the Source of the Flood Damage

Though it’s easy to assume all flood damage results from external water getting into your home, it’s possible that flooding can occur due to internal issues. A broken water pipe leading into a washing machine can spray dozens of gallons of water onto the floor in a short period. A burst pipe can also cause massive problems, especially if you’re away when the burst occurs.

It’s important to understand where the water comes from because that can influence the flood cleanup crew you hire.

For example, flooding from rainwater or a sewage issue is likely to be contaminated, meaning you need a cleanup crew that understands how to deal with potentially toxic materials. But floods caused by burst internal pipes may require an understanding of plumbing ahead of contaminant cleanup. Assuming you can identify the source of your flooding, ask your cleanup service about specific experiences they have with the specific type of floodwater for which you need help.

Tip 4 – Seek Emergency Scheduling

Water damage wreaks havoc on your home faster than you may think.

The first 24 hours of crucial, because that’s all it takes for further contamination to seep in. Mold starts to grow in that time, and any structural damage the flood caused is exacerbated. Add to issues caused to electrical systems in that time and it’s clear that speed is of the essence with flood cleanup.

As such, any cleanup service you consider needs to treat floods like what they are – emergencies.

Look for a company that will send a crew out within hours calling them. Any that tries to schedule you for several days (or even weeks) after the initial flood only creates time for more damage to occur. You’re left without your home. Plus, you’ll often face a large cleanup bill because contaminants have had more of an opportunity to spread.

Tip 5 – Ask About the Equipment the Service Uses

You should rightfully expect a flood cleanup crew to turn up with more than a couple of mops and a few buckets. Industrial-level equipment is a must to remove the water as quickly as possible and aid in the cleanup efforts. You’re looking for a team that users at least the following:

• Moisture meters that measure the severity of the damage

• Air movers and air scrubbers to dry carpets and remove mold

• Low Grain Refrigerant (LGR) dehumidifiers to speed up drying

• Self-propelled dump containers to get water-damaged materials off the site

Ask about equipment and listen for mentions of the above tools. If your flood cleanup crew goes into the specifics in terms of the equipment they use and what that equipment does, you can feel more confident that they know what they’re doing.

Tip 6 – Look for Good Reviews Online

There’s a good reason why 95% of people check online reviews before buying anything – reviews are the 21st century’s version of word of mouth. They give you independent feedback from people who’ve used the flood cleanup service you’re considering, taking you away from the service’s marketing speak so you get a taste of what it’s actually like.

Don’t limit your search for reviews to the testimonials on the company’s website.

Yes, those testimonials are a green flag that shows the flood cleanup service has happy customers. But combine those testimonials with reviews you find on social media and the service’s Google My Business page to get a more balanced view from past customers.

Conquer the Cleanup Conundrum

Floods are emergencies.

Failing to treat them as such by hiring any old flood cleanup service often results in delays that can cause more damage. Of course, you may also get left with an unreliable service that fails to salvage items that weren’t damaged by the flood or even causes further damage to your home.

Avoiding that situation means you have to work fast. So does your flood cleanup service. Use these six tips to find the right crew for the job and accept nothing less than a crew that can be at your doorstep in less than 24 hours after the flooding occurs.