What to do when Your House Floods

8/17/2021 (Permalink)

Imagine coming home from a long day at work, and rain is pouring down from the skies. You open the door but to your surprise something is amiss. You check the basement to see if everything is alright, when you notice your house has been flooded. Instead of scrambling for help, simply call SERVPRO of Washington / Woolwich. If you or a loved one encounters this unfortunate situation there are steps you can follow until SERVPRO promptly arrives at your door.

What YOU can do in the meantime

            After a flood it is important to remove excess water by mopping and blotting what you can. Wipe any excess water from wood and retrieve tabletop items such as lamps. Remove upholstery and cushions from any chairs, couches, and beds that are accesible in the flooded area. Remove any colored rugs from wet carpets and surfaces. Remove any valuable pieces of art and store in a dry safe place. Gather attainable loose items from your floor.

SERVPRO saves the day

Once you’ve done what you can, this is where SERVPRO steps in. We operate a 24-hour emergency contact number so you can get in touch with us any time disaster strikes. Remember to call SERVPRO of Washington / Woolwich. When you call this number, we will ask you several questions related to the emergency at hand. This helps determine what equipment to bring and how many employees to send. From here, highly trained water damage specialists will be sent to the place of emergency for inspection and damage assessment. An intensive inspection of the property will take place to determine the scope of the damage. Several things are taken into consideration such as amount of water, contamination of the water, etc. Once this assessment is complete, the water will be swiftly and efficiently extracted. Our company will also help move any valuable furniture and items out of the house to prevent stains and rust. The carpet and carpet pad will also be inspected and removed at this time if need be. State of the art water removal equipment is used in this process. This includes tools such as: moisture detectors, hygrometers, infrared cameras to find water behind walls, submersible and gas-powered pumps to expel high-level water, and truck-mounted and portable water extraction units. Next, our team will begin the drying process. This is a necessary step in the water restoration process as most building materials are porous, meaning they retain water. This retained water can cause materials to decompose, warp or mold. Our professionals will use dehumidification equipment based on the area’s measurements, temperature, and humidity of the flooded area. Industrial-grade dehumidifiers will be applied to prevent secondary water damage such as warping floors and swelling. High-speed air movers will also be introduced to the space to create airflow across walls, carpets, and furniture to accelerate the evaporation of moisture. SERVPRO will always provide validation and documentation once the property is dry. This brings us to the sixth and final step, Restoration. After a flood, your property may be in shambles. Leave it to SERVPRO to fix this. Various services are offered such as: board-up, roof tarping, temporary fencing, move-out assistance, and temporary warehouse space. However, that’s not all we can provide. We can also provide repair services such as drywall removal, hardwood floor repair, tile floor repair, painting, and carpet repair/installation. We can simplify the whole process for you by dealing with both the initial water damage and rebuilding of the affected areas. Having one extraordinary and qualified company throughout this entire process can save you both money and time.