How Can Water Damage Get Cleaned Up in Dallas Properties?

4/12/2020 (Permalink)

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SERVPRO offers a full array of specialized water damage restoration services for Dallas Homes

There are many ways water damage occurs in local Dallas properties, and when it does, it needs fast action. The longer building materials and contents have exposure to moisture, the more loss that can occur.

What are some of the most common reasons that cause water damage in Dallas homes?

    •    Plumbing problems
    •    Bathtub overflows
    •    Toilet backup
    •    Septic tank backup
    •    Appliance malfunction
    •    Leaks in the building structure
    •    Flood damage

What Types of Water Loss Does SERVPRO Handle?
When a water intrusion happens in a home, it is never a one-size-fits-all event. The nature of the water loss can, in part, determine the overall restorability of the structure and contents.

Water that enters the home via a roof leak or snowmelt from the rare but occasional snowstorm in Big D results in a type of water loss known as "clean water." Another form of this water-type is when there is a plumbing issue, such as a supply line break.

Gray water is not entirely clean and may contain chemicals such as a dishwasher or washing machine with a detergent in the tub that malfunctions and pours water onto the floor in the home. SERVPRO techs know this form of water loss needs more care, but it is not dangerous.

The final water type that SERVPRO technicians handle in homes is black water. This water type has the potential to be dangerous and is unsafe for humans and pets to come into contact with as it may contain chemicals, toxins, pathogens, and sewage. Typical sources of this category three biohazard can include:

    •    Toilet overflows
    •    Water in the home allowed to degrade more than 48 hours
    •    Floodwater

Can Wet Carpet Get Restored?
The short answer to this question is: usually. Whether or not the techs can restore the carpet depends on the construction materials that make up the fibers, the type of water loss affecting the carpet, and how long exposure has occurred.

The extraction equipment makes a huge difference in the ability to restore the wet carpet. The techs use portable pumps with different attachments on their extractor wands. Among these are weighted extractor heads that assist in pushing water out of the carpet and padding to the surface where the suction from the pump grabs it.

For more pushing power, the ride-on Rover units allow for high maneuverability and use the weight of the tech, riding it to push out the water in the wet carpet.

When the carpet has water loss due to black water, the mitigation process goes differently. Because wet carpet is extremely heavy, the removal of the water occurs with SERVPRO techs wearing full personal protective gear with respirators to ensure they do not aspirate any of the airborne water vapor.

In this case, the weight of a wet carpet has the potential to cause injury. The techs extract the water and then cut the carpet and padding into manageable strips for disposal. This is one of the few situations that a carpet does not have restoration possibilities.

How Does SERVPRO Work On Wet Tile Flooring?
There are different types of tile, and each has a different outcome for water loss. Ceramic and other types of tile that have a grout line often fare the best when exposed to water, particularly if the grout has a sealant.

Squeegee attachments make quick work of removing water from tile flooring of all types. Cleanup efforts must begin as quickly as possible when the tile flooring type includes laminate tiles attached to a subfloor or substrate with an adhesive. If seepage occurs, the tile can delaminate. When this happens, SERVPRO techs collect the tiles and inspect them for the possibility of cleaning and reinstallation to save the homeowner the cost of replacement.

Is Hardwood Flooring a Loss After Damage from Water?
For many homeowners, the hardwood flooring in their home is an investment. When a water loss event happens, because wood naturally absorbs water, the situation can look far worse than it is as the boards cup, crown, and warp in response to the moisture. The technicians use their equipment to remove as much water as they can before drying to lessen the time needed to dry.

Is Water Removal Needed on a Slab Substrate?
When the floor in the home gets installed over a concrete slab, it may look like all that needs to happen is to run some fans on it to dry it. However, this can set a home up for mold growth and foul odors. SERVPRO techs know that concrete is porous and retains some moisture when it gets exposure. They use their powerful air movers to raise any embedded moisture within the concrete.

How Can Controlled Demolition Help Against Water Loss?
Sometimes a loss area requires the tactic known as controlled demolition. This action gets standardly applied to ruined flooring or sheetrock. The techs drill weep holes or cut away only the areas of sheetrock that has evidence of water loss or flooring where seepage has occurred. This application opens up wall cavities and subfloors for complete drying.

What is the Difference Between Using Fans and Professional Air Movers to Dry Damage from Water in Homes?

    •    When homeowners set up a fan and point it in the direction of a wet floor or wall, they are basically blowing air on it. Eventually, it may dry the surface; however, moisture has the potential to get trapped within.
    •    The professional-grade centrifugal air movers utilized by the techs deliver airflow with a high velocity that causes embedded moisture to rise where the dehumidifiers that run in tandem capture it.

SERVPRO techs make use of specialized drying equipment for specific needs such as wet hardwood flooring or elevated moisture levels identified within a wall cavity through the use of the detection equipment. In cases like these, the techs use drying mats to help pull all the water vapor out of the floorboards. Another helpful device is the InjectiDry system that forces air into small spaces such as floor joints to assist in completely drying a structure.

SERVPRO of Southeast Dallas County at (972) 227-0800 has the professional equipment and experience to handle any type and size of water damage in local properties and make it, “Like it never even happened.”

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