Can I Have Water Damage and Not Know It?

6/3/2020 (Permalink)

Do You Think You Have Hidden Water Damage? Don't hesitate. Call SERVPRO today!

SERVPRO technicians have the Advanced Equipment and Training to Restore your Richmond Hill Home  

There are small signs your home may be trying to alert you to a slow leak either from a plumbing issue or a structural issue that needs attention. Ignoring the subtle clues can result in greater losses and additional problems such as structural deterioration and mold infestations. The most frequently seen signs include:

• Musty odors in a room that never fully go away
• Water spots on walls or ceilings
• Puddles of water that appear on the floor 
• Paint "bubbles" on walls 

What Should I Do First When I Find Water Damage in My Home?

When you notice any of the signs of water damage in your Richmond Hills home, one of the first actions you should take is to bring in a professional restoration services company. SERVPRO techs arrive quickly and determine both the cause of the water loss and form an individualized plan to clean up and restore the property and affected contents. 

The techs use their advanced detection equipment to map out the scale of the water loss within the home. Fortunately, through the use of various types of detection equipment, they can "see" behind walls, under the floors, and determine if how much of an area has water loss without the need to check under flooring or remove sheetrock manually.  

Once the scale of the water loss gets ascertained, the techs perform any controlled demolition such as removal of flooring to dry a subfloor or the cutting away of deteriorating sheetrock to halt any further wicking of moisture. These actions perform the dual purpose of both stopping additional problems from developing and also opening up the wet area for drying. 

Extraction Techniques That Work Against Water Loss

Self-cleanup of water in a home can be a huge error for a homeowner to make. Commonly-used consumer-grade equipment such as wet/dry vacuums does not have the pulling power to match the intense pull of the portable pumps utilized by the SERVPRO techs. When water gets left behind in carpet padding or under tile, for example, delamination and other issues such as mold can occur. The techs use their moisture removal equipment and perform "dry" passes to extract the maximum amount of moisture from a surface. This part of the restoration service helps lessen the time needed to dry. 

How Does Professional Drying Equipment Compare to DIY Methods?

Using household fans to dry a water loss area can take days or sometimes weeks to show a result, and in that time, further deterioration of the building materials can occur. In particular, a wet carpet and pad that had restoration potential can get ruined and require placement if the extraction and drying process wait too long.  

The drying equipment brought on-site by SERVPRO techs has a design basis in the science of psychrometry. The air movers blast warm, dry air at such high velocity that it causes a reaction to force embedded moisture to rise. The techs set up dehumidification equipment to capture the water vapor as it rises and ports it offsite. Specialized equipment also helps, such as: 

• Injecti-Dry systems to push air into small spaces 
• Drying mats for hardwood flooring
• Floating or tenting to dry carpet and padding in place

Odor Control Methods After a Water Loss

While extraction and drying go a long way towards the reduction of the musty odor that water loss can leave behind, sometimes there is a need for stronger applications. The techs have numerous choices, such as hydroxyl generators, thermal fogging, or time-release gel pellets. 

What Does the Scope of Coverage Have to Do With Restoration Services?

SERVPRO technicians are meticulous to only dispose of ruined items with the approval of the adjuster or property owner, and they are also very cautious to only perform actions during the restoration services that are within the scope of the insurance coverage on the property. This assists in helping homeowners never to experience surprise fees that are outside the coverage on their property. 

SERVPRO of Forest Hills / Ridgewood brings the advanced equipment, knowledge, and professionalism to every water damage restoration project. Call, 24/7 to address any size water loss in your property at (347) 379-1720.

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