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Defining Terms in Water and Fire Restoration

When you’re dealing with water and fire damage

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May 13, 2026
Defining Terms in Water and Fire Restoration

Defining Terms in Water and Fire Restoration

When you’re dealing with water and fire damage, you are sure to come across new terms that can make the process get a little confusing.

At Tidal Wave Response, we’ve defined some of the terms that you are likely to hear during fire and water damage restoration in Atlanta.

Air Mover: This is a water damage restoration appliance that offers high-velocity airflow over a wide area to provide rapid evaporation of moisture.

Air Scrubbers: This is a device that is used to eliminate contaminants from the air.

Restorative Drying: This process involves using reliable moisture extraction equipment and drying equipment to dry out structures and contents that have suffered water damage.

Dehumidification: This is all about using a dehumidifier to remove excess moisture from the air.

Fire Damage Cleanup: This is the process of removing standing water, removing debris and soot residues from the structures of a property, and eradicating the smell of smoke in order to restore the affected property to its pre-loss condition.

Water Mitigation: This involves a number of actions intended to prevent further damage to a property when water damage occurs.

Water Damage Restoration: This is a highly regulated process aimed at preventing further damage to property and restoring the affected property to its pre-loss condition.

Category 1 Water: This refers to water damage that originates from a clean water source, so it doesn't pose a substantial risk.

Category 2 Water: This refers to water damage that originates from a source of water that contains significant contamination and has the potential to cause sickness.

Category 3 Water: This category of water damage involves extremely contaminated black water that contains pathogenic and toxigenic agents. Grossly contaminated black water poses serious health risks and can even cause death if consumed.

Class 1: This is the least severe water damage characterized by a slow evaporation rate and low water absorption.

Class 2: In this class, water damage affects a large area, and the water’s evaporation rate and absorption rate is fast.

Class 3: In this class, water damage affects nearly an entire property, including ceilings, subfloor, insulation, drywall, walls, carpet. This class of water damage is characterized by a large amount of water, a faster evaporation rate, and absorption.

Class 4: Class 4 water damage severely affects materials with very low porosity like hardwood, plaster, crawlspaces, brick, stone, masonry, and more. This class of water damage requires longer drying times and special equipment to restore the affected property into its pre-loss condition.

Balanced Drying: This is a drying situation whereby the rate of evaporation of moisture is nearly equal to the rate of dehumidification.

Reviews

Alex Membrillo

Milton, GA

John came out within 2 hours of our call for help. Within 4 hours of him coming out his team was hear ripping up our basement and saving it from mold. I owe them 40k because that's what it would have cost if they didn't help as quick as they did. Will tell all 3 of my friends about them.  Rob also great and so was the team, so professional, so quick.

Tim Harwood

Buckhead, GA

I had some water damage above my garage after a plumbing incident and was very upset about it. Thankfully Justin and his team at tidal wave made the experience easy and much less of a headache. His team took out the damaged drywall did a full restoration and cleaned up after themselves. Made my damaged ceiling look brand new.

Elaine Tapp

Roswell, GA

We thought Tidal Wave did great work with our water damage remediation and repair. Everyone who showed up was professional and skillful. We had some challenges with scheduling communications and delays but everyone was generally responsive and helpful. We appreciated that they were a one stop shop that could handle everything for us. We would definitely recommend Tidal Wave to others.

DMP

Atlanta, GA

Tidal Wave is one of a kind! I had a pipe that burst and they responded the same day! The team lead, Chris, was extremely professional and courteous. He assured me that I would be taken care of and I was totally impressed with their swift response time. The owner, Johnny, called and told me he was sorry I had experienced water damage in my home and also assured me that everything would be fine. The project manager, Justin, was also extremely kind and provided me with beautiful replacement floor samples. Once my floors are finished, I’m going to submit…

Lisa S.

Cumming, GA

Talk about a company that lives up to it`s name! Called them in the morning within an hour Rob a very professional representative showed up at the house and helped me file a claim. Twenty minutes later a crew showed up and began demo. A few hours later Tidal Wave Response had figured out the leak was gone. Everything happened so fast and efficiently. They helped us understand what our insurance covered and guaranteed the demo would be covered by insurance or them. We are so happy to be working with this company and highly recommend them.

Logan F.

Decatur, GA

What a great company! I called to ask questions and within minutes I was scheduling someone to come to my home and save me from my water damage. Very responsive and the demo crew was amazing and professional!! The repairs to my Kitchen are about to start and I cant wait to see the end result! Thank you Tidal Wave!!

Webb W.

Atlanta, GA

Very, very professional from start to finish. Crew came into my home removed all of the damage items that was damaged by a water leak from the upper level of the home. Worked very fast and cleaned up behind themselves as if they were never there. It was like watch a action movie. Setup the dryers and other equipment very fast also and organized our furniture so that we could get to things as needed. Tidal Wave made a very bad situation feel okay, I`m thankful that we chose you guys. Again thanks for being so professional and responsive

Jennifer G.

Marietta, GA

I could not have been more pleased with my experience with Tidal Wave! Their response time was impressive and Michael did an excellent job walking me through the process. The entire crew was hard working, fast and courteous. I would 100% recommend Tidal Wave.

Binh D.

Dunwoody, GA

We had a water damage in our home and we Googled water damage restoration. We had 2 companies come out for an inspection and... Honestly we were very pleased with the punctuality & knowledge of Rob at Tidal Wave Response. He was very soft and well spoken and listened to our concerns about our home. Rob showed a very compassionate side of how a service professional treats his customer. Our choice was Tidal Wave Response based on their outstanding reviews and knowledge of insurance claims. Tidal Wave also met with the claims adjuster for our property damage inspection. This was…

Billy H.

Sandy Springs, GA

We highly recommend Tidal Wave Response! Johnny came out late last night to assess a failed water heater that flooded our finished basement. He coordinated with Mr. Rooter Plumbing to have a plumber dispatched at 11:45PM who confirmed the water was shut off and put some emergency repairs in place to ensure no further damage would occur. This morning at 7:10 AM (20 minutes earlier than expected) the Tidal Wave Response team was on site at our house. They assessed the damage, and assisted us in contacting our home owners insurance company to create our insurance claim. They preformed the…

Ty M.

Chamblee, GA

My upstairs bathroom overflowed. The water ran into two of my bedrooms and the hallway. My wife called Tidal Wave and they were at our home in less than an hour. Johnny`s team came out and were very quick and professional. They sucked up the water set equipment and the supervisor explained the process. They even offered to do our repairs and said they would handle it all. My wife and I are very pleased so far. I will make it my business to recommend this company to family and friends. This company is honest, and gets the job done.

Mary L.

Brookhaven, GA

So far GREAT!!! They came right out, took out wet walls, cleaned up perfectly (no dust) set up fans. I’m going to use them to put the walls back up and paint too! They are going to meet with my field insurance agent, too, to make sure everything is covered. Fingers crossed they continue to be great!

Reasons to Choose Tidal Wave

We Bill Your Insurance Directly

We Bill Your Insurance Directly

We Accept All Insurance Claims

We Accept All Insurance Claims

Licensed & Certified Technicians

Licensed & Certified Technicians

30 Minutes Response Time

30 Minutes Response Time

Locally & Family Owned

Locally & Family Owned

24/7 Emergency Service

24/7 Emergency Service

Never an Overtime Charge

Never an Overtime Charge

Need Help with Water Damage or Fire Damage Restoration? Call Tidal Wave Response

Choosing a reliable water damage company to restore your property to its pre-loss condition after water damage or fire damage is a big decision. It’s essential to hire a water damage company with years of experience and equipment needed to get the job done in an efficient manner.

You can count on Tidal Wave Response for fire and water restoration.

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