Recent Water Damage Posts

Ask The Experts: How Can I Decrease The Cost of Home Ownership?

7/14/2021 (Permalink)

Ah the joys of homeownership, it is never-ending!  Here are a few things you can do in your home to lower your chances of getting water damage.

- Do ceiling, attic and shingle checks routinely so you can catch a small problem before it becomes a BIG problem.
- Check your downspouts.  They should point away from your house so water flows away and not toward your foundation.
- Check your sump pump yearly and know when it needs to be replaced whether you think it needs to or not.
- Plants are nice but some have very evasive root systems that can wreak havoc.
- If your water bill is unusual, there might be a leak that needs to be addressed.
- Clean your gutters. This is very important to prevent overflow onto your roof and ice dams in the winter.
- Grease goes in the garbage NOT down your drain!
- Do regular inspections of hoses or water lines on wash machines, dishwashers, and refrigerators and corrosion on hot water heaters.

Baseboard's worst nightmare!!!

7/14/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO has been called out to water losses and we need to determine the extent of the damage and what materials are affected. The photo shows some baseboard separation from a wall. This is a good indicator that there could be water damage affecting the specific wall. In this case, there was a fridge line that had leaked on the opposite side of the wall and the water-saturated the wall causing the baseboards to shift away from the wall.

Saturated drywall becomes soft and no longer holds the nails in place that were used to attach the baseboards to the wall. When this occurs, the baseboards are completely removed from the wall and inspected for mold growth. In most cases, a flood cut is then performed to remove the affected drywall and expose the framing. The framing can then be properly dried before the drywall is replaced.

If disaster strikes, you can trust that SERVPRO has the experience, expertise, and equipment to get you back to "Like it never even happened."

Is "Sump"thing up? Call SERVPRO!

7/9/2021 (Permalink)

Power Failure

Your primary sump pump should not be treated any differently than any other appliance in your home - without power, it is completely worthless.  As a safeguard, invest in a high-quality battery backup sump pump.   A battery kept continually charged by the backup system operates a separate pump linked to the discharge pipe, providing you hours of protection until power is restored. Some backup pumps even monitor the condition of the battery and alert you when it needs to be replaced.

Frozen Discharge Pipe

If the discharge pipe is not installed pitched properly, water will collect and eventually freeze, causing a blockage. 

Switch Stuck in Place

There are several different types of sump float switches.  Vertical and tethered floats are the most common.  Vertical floats seem to work the best as tethered floats are known for getting stuck on the sidewalls of the sump pit (resulting in a flooded basement).

Over-worked / Under-Powered Sump Pump

Not all pumps are created equal.  Make sure you install the correct horsepower pump capable of keeping up with your flow of water.   

Old Age

It is generally recommended that sump pumps should be replaced every five to seven years in order to be reasonably safe. Don’t wait until it’s too late!

If disaster does strike, give us a call! We are faster to any disaster and are here to get you back to "Like it never even happened."

Did you know water damage has "class"?

7/9/2021 (Permalink)

The Classes of Water Damage Losses are determined by the rate of evaporation based on the type of materials affected by water damage to your property. Determining the Class of Water is an important first step and will determine the amount and type of equipment utilized to restore your business. Here are four IICRC water damage classifications:

Class 1 - Slow Evaporation Rate 
Water losses that affect only part of a room or area, or losses with lower permeance/porosity materials (e.g., plywood, particleboard, structural wood, vinyl composition tile or VCT, concrete). Little or no wet carpet or cushion is present. Minimum moisture is absorbed by materials, releasing moisture slowly.

Class 2 - Fast Evaporation Rate 
Water losses that affect an entire room or carpet and cushion. Water has wicked up walls 12" - 24". There is moisture remaining in structural materials (e.g., plywood, particleboard, structural wood, concrete).

Class 3 - Fastest Evaporation Rate
Water may have come from overhead. Ceilings, walls, insulation, carpet, cushion, and sub-floor in the entire area are saturated.

Class 4 - Specialty Drying Situations
These consist of wet materials with very low permeance/porosity (hardwood, plaster, brick, concrete, stone, and crawlspace). Typically, there are deep pockets of saturation, which requires very low specific humidity.

If disaster does strike, give us a call! We are faster to any disaster and are here to help get you back to "Like it never even happened."

SERVPRO Tips: When it comes to sewage cleanup, SERVPRO is here for you

9/10/2020 (Permalink)

Sewage is one of the most dangerous substances to enter homes or buildings. It contains fungi, bacteria and viruses, many of which are disease-causing. Unfortunately, many people fail to understand the hazards that sewage presents, particularly for the very young or very old, or for those with compromised immune systems or respiratory problems.

The IICRC has compiles guidelines for professional sewage cleanup called the Standard for Water Damage Restoration (S500).

Here are the key principles you should know about sewage back-ups:

Sewage contains a variety of pathogenic- disease causing- fungi, bacteria, viruses and parasites. Anyone who works on sewage losses must have updated vaccinations, including one for Hepatitis B.

Sewage exposure is particularly dangerous for people with weakened immune systems, including anyone under two or over 60, those who are pregnant, ill, recovering from surgery, on prescription drugs or chemotherapy, or are AIDS victims.

It is not safe to stay in a building that's flooded with sewage unless the contaminated area can be completely sealed off and placed under controlled air flow so that there will be no cross contamination of unaffected areas.

Highly absorbent sewage-saturated materials, such as carpet, pad, upholstery, bedding, wicker, paper, or even fabrics that can't be washed in hot water (130 F/54 C) for at least 10 minutes, must be contained and disposed of properly. This goes for sewage-saturated drywall, insulation and several other structural materials too. There's simply too great a health risk involved if any of these materials are dried in place and cleaned only.

Only the most highly trained professionals should attempt sewage remediation work. Then, a "third party" indoor environmental professional can provide post-remediation verification or "clearance testing" to ensure that the home or building is safe to re-occupy.

Special training and equipment is necessary to safely clean this type of contamination. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO's Corporate Training Facility to regular IICRC industry certifications, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

So give us a call! We are faster to any disaster and are here to help get you back to "Like it never even happened." 

SERVPRO Tips: What to do if water damage strikes your home

8/22/2020 (Permalink)

Nobody plans on having water damage interrupt their lives, but it happens each and every day. Here are some tips on what to do should water damage strike your home!

WHAT TO DO UNTIL HELP ARRIVES:
-Shut off the water source if possible.
-Remove excess water by mopping and blotting.
-Remove and prop up wet upholstery cushions for even drying.
-Place aluminum foil or wood blocks under furniture legs.
-Hang furs and leather goods separately at room temperature.
-Remove Oriental or other colored rugs from wet carpeting.
-Do not use a regular vacuum to remove water.
-Do not turn on ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet, and keep out of areas where ceilings are sagging from retained water.
-Do not leave books, magazines, or other colored items on wet carpeting.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM SERVPRO of Howard and Tipton Counties:
-Your First Responder is being dispatched to contact you and come to your location to assess the damage and begin mitigation services.

-Once mitigation services have begun, your First Responder will determine a drying plan to expedite drying and get you back to your normal routine of life.

-We expect under normal circumstances for drying to take place between 3 to 5 days. Your First Responder will advise you if it appears that drying time may exceed this goal.

-After initial services have been performed, a daily site visit will be necessary to ensure we are meeting or exceeding the drying plan and all equipment is functioning to the highest capacity.

-Upon completion of the drying plan, your water damage manager will meet with you on-site to ensure you are satisfied with all services performed.

So give us a call! We are faster to any disaster and are here to help get you back to "Like it never even happened."