Restoration glossary

Common restoration terms

After water, fire, mold, or storm damage, the crew and your insurance adjuster will use terms that decide what work happens and who pays for it. Here is what the most common ones mean, in plain English.

Water mitigation

The emergency first phase that stops and limits water damage — shutting off the source, extracting standing water, and drying — before the longer restoration and repair work begins.

Restoration

The full process of returning a damaged property to its pre-loss condition, including cleanup, structural drying, and repairing or replacing damaged materials.

Mitigation vs. restoration

Mitigation is the immediate work that stops further damage (extraction, drying, board-up); restoration is the longer rebuild that returns the property to its pre-loss condition. Most jobs move from mitigation into restoration.

Remediation

Removing a problem and correcting its cause — most often used for mold: containing the area, removing affected materials, and fixing the moisture source so it does not return.

Category 1 water (clean water)

Water from a clean source such as a supply line or faucet, with no significant contamination. It still needs prompt drying, because it can degrade to a worse category over time.

Category 2 water (grey water)

Water carrying some contamination — for example from a washing-machine or dishwasher overflow — that calls for more cleaning and may require removing affected porous materials.

Category 3 water (black water)

Grossly contaminated water, such as sewage backups or flooding from outside. It requires the most extensive cleanup and the removal of porous materials it has touched.

Structural drying

Using air movers and dehumidifiers to evaporate moisture from walls, floors, and framing back to normal levels, including hidden cavities, so secondary damage does not develop.

Dehumidification

Removing water vapor from the air with dehumidifiers so the moisture pulled out of wet materials does not re-condense elsewhere and cause further damage.

Moisture mapping

Using moisture meters and thermal imaging to locate hidden water inside walls, ceilings, and floors, so nothing wet is left behind to cause mold growth or rot.

Containment

Sealing off a work area with physical barriers, and sometimes negative air pressure, so dust and spores are not spread to clean parts of the building during removal.

Antimicrobial

A cleaning agent applied to affected surfaces during restoration to clean them and discourage microbial growth on the materials being treated.

Board-up and tarping

Emergency measures that cover broken windows, walls, or roof openings to keep out weather, water, and intruders until permanent repairs are made.

IICRC

The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification — the industry body whose standards (such as S500 for water damage and S520 for mold) restoration companies are trained and certified to follow.