Do I Need Quick Water Removal After My Slidell Home Floods?

5/12/2020 (Permalink)

Water damage happens. SERVPRO is always available to dry and restore your home.

To Preserve Your Residence After a Flood, Call SERVPRO Water Restoration Technicians to Clear and Dry Your Home Rapidly

Residential water issues that begin inside a home are usually the result of a ruptured pipe, broken water heater, or a failed kitchen appliance. Often, the amount of water appears to be a minor issue and can be handled with a water-vac and maybe setting up a couple of fans. Unfortunately, steps like these are just the beginning, and time is crucial to preserve as much of your home as possible. 

What does SERVPRO do that is so important?

Professional water removal in Slidell homes requires specialized skills. SERVPRO extensively trains Water Restoration Technicians (WRTs) to include the following: 

• Quickly remove standing water covering carpets and other floorings to stop continuing damage. This action also helps to eliminate the threat of bacteria or mold growing and expanding throughout the home.
• Drawing out trapped water to eliminate puddles or pools underneath the flooring, behind walls, and above ceilings, if the leak was in the attic or a second-floor bathroom. Removing trapped water is especially important since even a small amount of water can rot support structures and grow a mold colony. Our WRTs can carefully remove water and mold without damaging the flooring or other property in the home.
• Dry the home. With the water removed, natural evaporation can start. While that may be fine after mopping up a small spill in the kitchen, water does not convert to vapor fast enough to prevent damage to floors and walls. WRTs augment the natural process to increase drying without damaging structural and personal property. 

Is SERVPRO equipment really that better than what I can rent or buy at a DIY store? 

Our technicians use industrial-grade equipment designed specifically for water removal. These are a few of the items used to return each home to a dry, safe condition: 

• Pumps – For deep or extensive flooding in large areas like living rooms, our technicians use them. Our office maintains an inventory of pumps that include machines small enough to clear an apartment by themselves to truck-mounted pumps we use on large homes, apartment buildings, and businesses.
• Extraction Wands – Our water removal teams use these smaller devices when the water level is an inch or less. They are also easier to use in tight spaces like closets and narrow hallways. Technicians can adjust the speed of these wands, making them safer when drawing water out of carpets.
• Dehumidifiers – With the water removed, there is still moisture in the air and trapped in the personal and structural property like chairs, sofas, drywall, and wall framing. These devices, depending on the level of moisture, can draw out 20 gallons every 24 hours.
• Generators – In most cases, our teams plug into a nearby electrical outlet for power. If the water rose high enough to compromise an outlet, it is safer for us to bring in an alternate power supply. Our generators range in size from one small enough to hide behind a shrub to large power plants needed for continuous, 24-hour operations. 

Can you save my carpets?

If the water our teams remove is clean, the answer is yes. After removing the water, WRTs lift the carpets, roll them up, and remove the pads, which rapidly deteriorate when they get wet. Technicians next place an air mover at one end to force warm air under each carpet, drying it and the floor underneath. At the opposite end, they place an exhaust fan to draw out moisture and damp air, so the dehumidifier captures it. After drying, team members lay down a new pad and stretch the carpet back in place. 

Can you get rid of the musty odor I smell? 

Cleaning and drying the carpets often removes the source for the musty odor characteristic after a home flood. If an odor lingers, specialists can use a chemical cleaner that masks the odor until it dissipates. If the odor penetrated deeply into an item, they would use a fogger with a cleaning agent that generates a cloud of particles to bind with and neutralize the odor.

Is that the end of it? 

In nearly all cases, yes. After these actions, the SERVPRO team leader explains each step taken and happily returns a dry, clean, and safe home to the owner. If an odor or other issue occurs after that, we return to fix it at no additional charge. 

No matter where the water comes from, or how much it affects your home, SERVPRO of Slidell is here for you. For more details on what our restoration teams can do for you and your home, contact us today at (985) 649-1516. 

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