Spring storms flooded my Chagrin Falls home

5/16/2023 (Permalink)

Handling a Flooded Property Correctly

Flood damage is one of the worst things that can befall a property. Many people incorrectly assume that because they don't live in a flood plain or an area prone to extreme weather that they are safe from the risk of flooding. This is not helped by news media coverage of major flooding events, which can often lend a sense of disproportion to the frequency of spectacular flooding of the type caused by hurricanes or overflowing rivers.

The truth is that the majority of flood damage in the United States is the product of far more mundane failures, such as those from pipe breaks or supply line breaks. In fact, the majority of flood damage caused in the U.S. is, therefore, subject to compete restoration and mitigation. This means that the majority of flood damage losses in the United States are completely preventable.

The problem is that too many property owners do not recognize the severity of water damage situation in time. Any time a property owner notices water in their home or water in their business, it is imperative to call in a professional restoration company to immediately begin taking measures towards the restoration of the flooded home or business and the mitigation of water damage. With timely restoration and mitigation efforts, almost all flood damage is completely reversible. But even after the first 24 hours after water in a business or water in a home appears, the chances of a successful restoration or mitigation of the water damage begin to drop precipitously. After one week without property intervention in the flooded home or business, the chances of the property incurring massive, water damage is all but assured.

Once the call to the water cleanup company is made, and the team is there, they will immediately begin surveying the extent and severity of the water in the business or water in the home. They will go to the source of the pipe break or supply line break, cutting off any active leaks and seeing the extent of possible seepage. Using sophisticated tools, such as hygrometers and infrared detectors, the team will carefully inspect the area around the original supply line break or pipe break, getting a feel for the extent to which water may have seeped into out-of-site places.

The next step will be to begin the removal of any standing water in the home or water in the business. This will be carried out using heavy-duty vacuum equipment that can remove thousands of gallons of standing water each hour. The water removal portion of the cleanup process generally only takes a few minutes to an hour.

Next, the team will begin drying the premises. They will take extra care to ensure that all moisture is removed from the area of the original supply line break or pipe break. The drying step may take the longest of any of them. Drying typically lasts one hour to a full day.

Afterwards, all furniture and surfaces will be scrubbed to ensure no mildew is allowed to form. At this point, the property will be restored to its prior condition.

Visit http://www.SERVPROgeaugacounty.com for more information on water damage.