Hillary's Home Safety Tips: Avoiding Water Damage

There is nothing more disheartening than walking into the lower level of your home or business, or your garage, and finding yourself knee-deep in icky water (yes, even pros in the business use the word icky). Even when water damage is not excessive or obvious right away, a flood may have occurred and could have potentially negative effects – including that awful "mildew smell" we have all experienced.  It is not healthy for anyone to walk into this water, especially without a pair of good rubber/water tight boots and/or a Hepatitis-B shot.

Keep in mind that water runoff from the street or your pristine front and back yards can carry E-coli, bacteria and oil from cars and trucks. It can be harmful to your health, so the first lesson is to stay out of the water, call your plumber, stop the water and call the professionals – that would be us – for help.

Water damage professionals have the equipment and experience necessary to handle the most challenging home flooding situations.  Some of our clients have called a local contractor or their "handy man" for help, and these people are great for rebuilding after we dry you out, disinfect with a mold killer and deodorize.  We leave the rebuilding to them.  However, you want a water certified pro to get your home or business "desert dry" after a flood, and prevent mold growth.

Companies like ours concentrate on service, and background check all of our well-trained crews, all for your piece of mind. Because floods always seem to occur overnight or early in the morning, our Servpro near Eastchester as well as companies like ours are always available and work around-the-clock. Often, our clients come home from work to find a level in their house underwater, or arrive at work early to find that their business had a plumbing or other leak. Stop the water first, and then call a professional to get it dry and disinfected.

Again, calling your contractor or handyman, who most likely will not be trained in drying a structure from the inside, can often cause more harm than good.  Also, and if they are not certified plumbers, they may not be able to stop the water from continuing to flood your property or stop mold from growing.  They are great for rebuilding any damaged walls or floors, but first companies like ours must come in a do our job.

After we dry your property and you need new flooring, we suggest you call local star and business owner, Debbie Gartner of Floor Coverings International, and she'll come by for a free quote on getting you back to normal.  We concentrate on drying, rather than "demo" work, where walls and floors are torn out when they might have been dried and saved.  We've got to get the structure dry and safely sprayed for mold when you are out of the property – usually overnight for business owners or during the day when you are at work for homeowners. Even after heartbreaking fire damage, the firefighters may have used water to suppress the flames and left standing water.  Either way, call a fire and water restoration company to help you get back to normal.

You will want to concentrate on safely drying, deodorizing and disinfecting the areas flooded or damaged by water.  Save the items and belongings that you can, but often your carpet and padding will need to be dried and then removed – when they aren't full of water and weigh a ton.  A pro should offer to come in and provide you, and your insurance company if applicable, a free verbal quote on how long the drying process will take.  As soon as possible you want to begin "extracting" the water, as the longer the water is in your structure, the more damage to flooring, walls and the structure it can cause.

Here is some more information on water damage companies and how they can aid in various situations:
 
Equipment Water Damage companies use…

• Moisture detectors, hygrometers and other meters, to measure the extent of moisture saturation and gauge the drying time required.
• Infrared camera may be used to identify water location.
• Submersible and gas-powered pumps for continuous pumping of high-level water may be necessary, especially if the power is out.
• Truck mounted and portable extraction units perform efficient water removal, too.

Sanitizing Agents, Germicides, & Anti-Microbial Treatments

• Deodorization products control odors from excessive moisture.
• Disinfection products stop the growth of bacteria, fungi (and yes, mold is "a fungus among us," and bleach will not kill or prevent mold).  We also prevent mildew, and other harmful microorganisms from growing.

Hi-Tech Drying Equipment

• Drying equipment helps prevent swelling and warping of floors, walls and furniture.
• Industrial grade dehumidifiers minimize secondary water damage.
• High-speed air movers create airflow across walls, carpets, pads and furniture, evaporating moisture quickly and safely.
• Some situations call for special drying techniques that require state of the art equipment and training.

Hillary Sheperd is the Vice President and Co-owner of Servpro of Scardsale/Mount Vernon, a fire and water cleanup company. For more information on the services provided by Servpro visit their website at www.servproofscarsdalemountvernon.com or call 914-699-5181.