5 Water Damage Horror Stories: And How SERVPRO Saved the Day!

4/8/2016 (Permalink)

We at SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea have dealt with and seen every type of water damage there is. Whether the source is a slab leak or an overflowing tub, our team can remove the damage quickly and safely. Because of our years of experience in the business, we have a lot of past water damage horror stories to share- some being more difficult and laborious than others. Here are just a few of those stories: 

1. The Overflowing Toilet That Caused Damage to an Entire House

Having to deal with an overflowing toilet is bad enough, but when that toilet floods your entire house, you’ve got a huge problem on your hands. Because a toilet flood connects to the sewage that contains hazardous and dangerous bacteria, chances are high that there will be a lot of home removal and repair needed. That’s why we at SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea work so hard to make sure that we not only remove the water damage, but also get your home back to being a safe and bacteria-free environment. 

We had a homeowner in Brea contact us after her toilet flooded her entire home. She originally called a plumber out to fix the problem. While he was able to fix the toilet issue, he told her that she needed to contact SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea as soon as possible to remediate the water damage.  Once she called, we immediately sent Project Manager, Jonathan Arcila, to inspect the damage. 

After taking a tour of the home, Jonathan found that the living room, kitchen, dining room, hallway to the bathroom, and all bedrooms and closets had been affected by the water damage. He knew that while the job would be big, it was definitely doable for the SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea team. So, he called our technicians to get started. 

First, we told the homeowners that they would need to vacate the home, given that there were sewage leaks. We then tested to see if there was asbestos in the home, and the test came back positive. Because of this, we performed an asbestos abatement and then got to work on removing the water damage. 

To fully remove the water damage, our technicians ended up removing over four feet of drywall in every room. But the homeowner was very happy with the time, energy and thoughtfulness we put into our work. She told us that she’d call us again if she had any other water damage needs! 

2. The Shower Pipe Leak That Left a Homeowner Frustrated and Stressed

With water damage comes stress and frustration for the homeowner. Not only is the place you call home damaged, but oftentimes you have to wait to get things approved from places like insurance companies before you can get anything done. And when those insurance companies refuse to pay to fix the water damage, that just adds to your frustration level. While we can’t change your insurance company’s mind, we at SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea do work hard to provide you with the best pricing options, especially when it’s coming directly out of your own pocket. 

Unfortunately, if water damage is caused by improper home maintenance, most insurance companies won’t pay for the damage remediation. One homeowner knew this problem all too well after his insurance company refused to pay for the water damage done by a pipe leak in his shower. He noticed that his bathroom was flooding and called his plumber right away, who diagnosed a break in the shower’s pipe. 

The plumber had mentioned that the homeowner would need a professional water damage company to come in and remove the water damage. That’s when the homeowner contacted his insurance company and they told him that demolition was not covered. Since the leak happened due to lack of maintenance, they would only cover drying equipment. 

Frustrated and tired, the homeowner gave us a call to see what we’d be able to do. We sent our Project Manager, Chris Trejo, to inspect the home. After looking at the damage, Chris set up some dehumidifiers and desiccants to help remove the water damage, but knew that in order to fully remediate the area, some of the tile needed to be removed. 

In the end, the homeowner did not remove the tile, but we set up more dehumidifiers and fans to dry out the tile as much as possible. We also let him know that since it would be self-pay, if he changed his mind, we’d be able to work on the pricing for removing the tile. 

The homeowner was very pleased with our work, even though the insurance company’s lack of help was frustrating. He knew that we did everything we could and felt like we gave him some great help and support. 

3. The Slab Leak That Caused Serious Damage to a Laguna Niguel Home 

Slab leaks are never fun, especially when they spread to multiple areas of your home. A Laguna Niguel homeowner was put in this situation when a slab leak in her house damaged her family room, living room, dining room and kitchen. 

She noticed the leak on a Saturday after hours, which meant that the plumber wouldn’t be able to make it to the home until Monday at the earliest. That’s when she called SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea. We are available all day every day, so when we received her call, we sent Crew Chief, Jose Melgar, out to the home that same day. 

As soon as he arrived at the home, he turned off the water. However, there was still a lot of water damage to clean up. We ended up having to remove all the hardwood flooring in all the rooms and some pieces of drywall and cabinets. But we were able to save the counter faces and counter tops!

The homeowner was so happy with our work. She loved how fast and productive we were with removing the water damage. She told us that she’d be telling all her friends and family about her great experience with SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea! 

4. The Homeowners That Were Out of Town When Water Damage Hit 

Water damage is a fast moving problem. The longer you wait to remediate the damage, the further it can spread. This is why one of the worst times to have water damage happen is when you are out of town and nobody’s home to fix the problem. 

A homeowner in Lake Elsinore called us about water damage that happened when they were out of town. A pipe in their washing machine broke while they were gone, which left the home covered in water. They returned with wet carpet and knew that they needed to call a professional to fix the problem. They searched online and found that SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea was the best company for the job. 

As soon as we received their call, we sent our Project Manager, Felipe Saldana, out to the home to inspect the damage. When he arrived, the water had leaked from the laundry room out to the hallway and bathroom. Felipe knew it was the perfect job for SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea, so he called out our team of technicians to get started. 

We first placed drying equipment and then checked the home for mold. Fortunately, there was no mold and we were able to proceed with the water damage remediation. We had to remove the drywall in the laundry room and the padding in the hallway, but everything else was dried in place! 

The homeowners were very happy with our work. They were nervous that because they weren’t home when the pipe had burst initially, the damage would be too difficult to remove. However, they were extremely pleased with the way we were able to remove the water damage in a fast and stress-free process. 

5. The Flood Caused By a Neighboring Home

Dealing with water damage from your leaky pipes is one thing, but having to deal with water damage that was caused by a neighbor is even worse. Luckily, SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea is an expert at removing water damage no matter where the root cause of it comes from. 

A homeowner in Brea called us after a neighbor’s slab leak flooded her home as well. This caused damage to the family room walls and the flooring and walls of the bathroom, closet and hallway. When she discovered the damage, she called SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea to remove the damage. 

Once we received her call, we sent Crew Chief, Cesar Arcila, out to the home right away. After inspecting the home, he explained in depth to the homeowner just exactly what needed to be done. Once she agreed to the work, our team got started. We removed and dried in place all of the damp materials so that there wouldn’t be any chance for mold to grow.  

The homeowner was very happy with our work and knew that if there were any other water damage problems in the future, she’d call SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea! 

It doesn’t matter where or when water damage to a home strikes, it always leaves the homeowner feeling stressed and anxious about the state of their home. Fortunately, SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea is here to help minimize those feelings and remediate the water damage as fast and as smoothly as possible. Contact us today for any of your water damage needs!