What Are My Cleanup Options After a Flood?

6/24/2020 (Permalink)

Summer storms are common and bring flooding. Sometimes we make flood cuts to ensure drying.

Expert Restoration for Flood Damage is Best to Ensure Your Berkeley Heights Home Gets Back to Pre-Loss Condition 

Any storm can make you feel uneasy, especially when water begins to infiltrate your home's interior. When you experience heavy rainfall, wind, and flooding in your Berkeley Heights home, you can rest assured that SERVPRO is available 24/7. We act fast not only to lessen the secondary damage but also to make sure that your interior is back to preloss condition "Like it never even happened." 

Why Is Skilled Restoration Best? 

As soon as you notice your home has suffered from flood damage in Berkeley Heights, you should call for expert restoration. Before our SERVPRO crew arrives, make sure that you are careful around any standing water, as there could be dangers from electrocution or lacerations. 

The sooner that the restoration efforts begin, the better your chances of halting secondary damage like: 

• Wood rot
• Mold and mildew growth
• Subfloor damage
• Delamination of flooring
• Foul odors, and more 

The minute that we receive a call from a customer to come out for emergency flood cleanup and restoration, we spring into action. We deploy a crew to your home, with most arrival times commencing in as little as four hours or less, so that we can get to work. Our Green Fleet comes equipped with advanced restoration equipment, and we use proven techniques to restore your home. All of our IICRC-certified technicians are well-versed with things like expert water removal, eliminating the dangers of microbial threats, and halting the onset of foul odors. 

Are There DIY Efforts with Which I Can Assist? 

It is natural for a homeowner to want to clean up some of the water invading their home. However, consumer-grade equipment often fails to provide results anywhere near our industrial-strength tools and equipment. Furthermore, you run the risk of causing even more damage without realizing it when you try to handle floodwater with DIY methods. It is not uncommon for our crews to arrive to find out that the initial loss was made worse by self-cleaning efforts, such as: 

• Contamination that spreads into other areas of the home
• Water migration outside of the flood-loss zone
• Exposure to potentially hazardous materials
• Unnecessary secondary damage to building materials and belongings 

Why Do Contaminants Spread So Easily? 

Any flood loss can present with varying degrees of contamination. When floodwater, also known as blackwater, enters the home, it brings a range of contaminants. These contaminants may include: 

• Dirt, silt, various debris
• Chemicals
• Fuel
• Biohazards
• Fecal matter, and more 

Contaminants such as these will often travel and spread quickly through foot traffic. DIY cleaning methods using high-pressure water may also aerosolize the pollutants, making them airborne and providing a path to other interior areas. When you call us at SERVPRO to help with your flood emergency, you can count on us to take several necessary precautions: 

• Our crew wears personal protective equipment (PPE), which includes foot coverings
• We put plastic sheeting into place to create contamination barriers and air scrubbers for an environment with negative pressure
• Buffers need placing in areas where there is only partial flooding present 

With flooding from a violent storm in Berkeley Heights, we also take the time to ensure your property is safe. We will secure your home by: 

• Ensuring the safety of your home and our crew by putting braces in place if your structure is damaged
• Boarding up or taping of any damage, including broken windows
• Shutting off the electricity and other utilities near the flood-loss zone may pose a potential hazard from shock or fire 

How Can My Structure Be Damaged During a Storm and Flood? 

The physical integrity of your home could be at risk and supporting structures such as a garage or shed. During the force of heavy, wind, rain, and flooding, there could be issues such as: 

• Metal or wood framing that can bed or begin to shear off
• Doors, windows and siding that may warp or break entirely
• Depending on the water levels and pressure, your foundation could be at risk for a wash-out 

After your structure is secure, our crews get to work using high-powered extraction equipment. With truck-mounted extractors, submersible pumps, and various other tools, we pull out all of the standing water within the loss zone. It is then essential to take the time to use specialized moisture detection tools to locate any hidden pockets where water may have migrated. We then put into place a range of drying machines to facilitate the next phase, including: 

• Industrial-strength fans
• Centrifugal air movers
• Desiccant dehumidifiers 

All of these drying tools help reduce relative humidity and ensure your interior is dry for the final restoration phase. No matter the level of flood damage you are facing, our team is no match at SERVPRO of Western Union County. Call us 24/7 at (908) 791-9177, and we can send out a crew to get to work as soon as possible!