Who Has The Most Effective Equipment to Handle Water Damage in Slidell?

4/2/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO has the professional restoration equipment for any type of emergency.

SERVPRO that's who! Water Cleanup Procedures For Slidell Homes.

Many Slidell residents enjoy life close to the picturesque West Pearl River year-round. Access is easy, and the activities are extensive. Despite that, water also causes millions in costs to many area homes regarding not just physical damage, but in cleaning up the residences as well. Much of this damage often comes from failed plumbing like broken pipes or a failing dishwasher and not from the flooding that makes the national news.

Effective water cleanup in Slidell homes requires much more than mops and buckets. SERVPRO technicians have a large inventory of equipment and cleaning agents to return each structure to a clean, safe condition, ready for occupation once more.

After water extraction from the home, our restoration teams begin drying the residence. They set up fans to increase air circulation and dehumidifiers to draw moisture from the air inside the home. If the water sat long enough to be absorbed by the drywall panels making up the interior walls, specialists would install air movers that use warm, dry air to force moisture out of the panels and dry them in place.

Since the water came from a plumbing issue (excluding toilets), it is considered to be clean or free of contaminants. That allows SERVPRO team members the option of trying to restore the carpet if the owner wants it instead of removing the water and disposing of it and the carpet pad.

They start with an extractor to draw out as much water as possible and then lift and roll the carpet to remove the pad underneath it. Before reattaching it, team members roll the carpet out and then use air movers and exhaust fans to dry it and the floor underneath. They finish by installing a new pad and then stretching the carpet back in place.

An additional concern is that there are soil and other contaminants trapped in the carpet. While they do not force the need for disposal, adding water creates mud or sludge that further damages the carpet. When needed, team members use a commercial grade cleaner and a shampoo machine to agitate the carpet without damaging it and then draw out the dirty water to leave a carpet safe for residents to walk on again.

Some Of Our Ways To Remove Hidden Water Damage From Inside Your Slidell Walls.

Long after the broken water pipe repair is completed and the flood water is gone, your home may still be under attack. While the flood water spread across the floor and splashed against your home’s walls, the moisture was probably seeping into the home’’s structure. Our professional water removal team will quickly eliminate the standing water, and move to the liquid sitting inside the walls that's probably still there. Furthermore, the swelling wood may still be sucking up water, and the insulation is probably still feeding liquid to the sheetrock and subfloors. Here are some ways we remove hidden water damage from inside your walls.

1. Ventilate as soon as the flood waters are gone. Ask your professional water removal team to use industrial fans when possible.
2. Completely remove baseboards and use cutouts in plasterboard to allow air to flow. If the flood water did not reach above the baseboard trim, small, slotted holes may suffice.
3. Remove wet insulation. All moisture should be removed to prevent mold, including the wet insulation inside walls.
4. Remove door trim and paneling. If flood water was from a broken supply line or burst pipe, the swelling wood trim and paneling can probably be dried and reused.
5. If the flood waters were more than eight inches deep, cut the wallboard two to three inches above the flood line and discard. Water frequently causes the gypsum to crumble and the paper backing material to ripple.
6. Dry the inside of plasterboard walls completely. Depending on the area’s humidity, this could take a month or more.
7. Replace insulation and plasterboard with new products. Flood-resistant insulation can be a good replacement choice.
8. Install new baseboard trim. You can also re-install the door trim and paneling.

Once the swelling wood and warped plasterboard have been removed and the foundation is completely dry, your home in Slidell, can be fully restored to its pre-flood state. By taking the time to make sure there is no hidden water damage inside your walls, you can be sure your home remains mold free.

For SERVPRO of Slidell, our goal is to quickly return every home to its owners in a clean, safe condition. If you have had any water incident in your home, call (985) 649-1516 today to schedule a visit from one of our inspectors. We are here for you.

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