How to Deal with Water Damage After Flooding

3/28/2016 (Permalink)

Water damage caused by a natural disaster can be devastating, especially since the homeowner has no control over how much damage will be done. With this month’s rain coming and going, more and more homeowners are having to deal with one unfortunate consequence of flooding: water damage to their home. 

While they don’t have control over the natural disaster, homeowners do have control over what water damage remediation company they pick to fix the problem. To get the job done efficiently and correctly, contact SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea, as our team is experienced and available 24/7 to save your home from water damage caused by a flood. 

Areas of the Home to Keep in Mind After a Flood:

1. Check the siding of your home. 

A home’s exterior is made to shelter you from all outdoor forces, including rain or snow. But unfortunately, sometimes the level of outdoor wetness can be too much for your home to handle. When this happens, the siding of your home has the potential to be at risk of exposure to water damage. 

If your home floods, it is possible that it is coming from damaged siding. While damaged siding is not always preventable, it helps to have proper and regular maintenance done to the exterior of your home. This includes a regular paint job and inspections for cracks or gaps between the siding and the doors or windows. 

2. Have the drywall checked out.

One popular place for water damage to set into after a flood is in the drywall. Some warning signs of water-damaged drywall include discoloring or softened areas where your drywall is located. If you suspect that your drywall has been affected by water damage after a flood, be sure to contact a water damage removal professional like SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea to remediate the damage. 

While floods can damage the drywall of a home, some forget that it can also impact businesses as well. Fortunately, SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea remediates water damage in residential and commercial areas, so no matter where the damage is, we can get rid of it. 

We recently had a business in Brea contact us about a flood in its work bathroom, after some employees noticed that the room started to smell of mold. Not sure what to do exactly, the company called SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea to take care of the problem. 

After receiving the call, we immediately sent our Project Manager out to inspect the damage done to the office space. In the inspection, our Project Manager found mold from previous unresolved water damage as well as new damage caused by a flood. After checking out the damage, our Project Manager decided to send our talented team of technicians out to the building to get started on the work.

In the end, we had to remove some drywall, insulation and sinks, as the water damage had been left unnoticed for such a long amount of time. To make sure that no more mold was growing, we ended up sanding all of the studs. Just to make sure that we did everything in our power to eliminate the water damage and mold growth, we also called an environmental company out to the building to check our work. The company said that everything looked great, so we then set up some air movers to clean everything up and complete the job properly. 

The company was very satisfied with our work. In fact, they complimented us on our cleanliness and efficiency. We were happy to be of assistance! 

3. Take control of the flooring. 

An easy way to detect if a natural disaster like a flood has caused water damage to your home is by physically seeing an excess amount of water on your floor. Whether it’s a soggy carpet or a damp hardwood floor, be sure to take control of the damage as soon as possible. The longer it sits there, the further the damage can spread to other areas of the house, only creating more of a headache for the homeowner. The best way to handle this situation is to a call a water damage remediation professional that’s open all day everyday, like SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea, to remove the water damage.  

Whether it is a flood or a simple pipe leak, having to deal with water damage to your flooring is no fun. But we at SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea know exactly how to remediate the damage so the process can go as smoothly as possible. 

A homeowner in Walnut recently called us after they found that a pipe had burst in the wall of their family room. However, the damage had spread to the hardwood flooring, leaving the floor completely saturated. After their plumber fixed the leak, he told the homeowners to give SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea a call to remediate the water damage. 

Once we got off the phone with the homeowners, we immediately sent our Project Manager, Jonathan Arcila, out to the home for a proper inspection. Once he realized that SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea was perfect for the job, Jonathan called our team of technicians out to the home to get to work immediately. 

We ended up removing the drywall and some flooring in the family room, but the flooring in the hallways was completely saved by drying it in place. 

The homeowners were so happy with our work, especially since we were able to save their hallway flooring. They told us they would call us again for any of their water damage removal needs! 

4. Take a look at your fireplace.

While it might not seem like the most obvious place to check, it’s very important to examine your fireplace for any signs of water damage after a flood. 

To escape some dangerous post-flood damage, the Chimney Safety Institute of America has compiled some tips for homeowners concerning floods and fireplaces. Take a look!

• Replace gas fireplace logs. When exposed to water, valves can get clogged and metal parts may deteriorate at a rapid speed. These are two things that no homeowner wants to deal with, so be sure to replace those logs. 

• Replace fireplace wiring and fans. Water and electrical pieces don’t go well together. Be sure to replace these parts before turning anything back on. 

• Call a professional. To make sure that there’s no lasting water damage to the fireplace, have a professional like SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea come out and inspect if there’s been any further damage done to the fireplace and home. 

5. See if the damage has spread to other areas of the home. 

Even if you detect the water damage in one room does not mean that it cannot spread to other areas of the home. In fact, the longer you wait to remediate the damage, the more it will spread to other rooms and areas of your home. That’s why it is so important to have a professional come to your house as soon as you discover the damage. 

While You Wait…

If a flood has affected your home, there are a few things that you can do to make your home as safe as possible while you wait for SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea to get to your house: 

1. Turn off your electricity. 

As we mentioned earlier, water and electricity do not mix, so be sure to turn your electricity off until the problem is completely remediated. 

2. Tell everyone that it’s not a sanitary space. 

Being exposed to an excess amount of water from a flood is not healthy. It’s especially important to tell kids that it’s not a place to play in and that it can even make you sick! 

3. Try to locate the source. 

If possible, try and find out where the burst of water is coming from. That way, you are able to eliminate any further damage from spreading. 

We at SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea hope that these tips will be able to help you and your family if you are ever victims of water damage caused by natural flooding. No matter where the source comes from, SERVPRO of Yorba Linda/Brea can help with any of your water damage remediation needs!