Flooring - Can It be Saved After Water Damage?

4/20/2022 (Permalink)

Specialty drying mat equipment drying down a hardwood floor

Unfortunately, water damage happens more often than we would like.  1 out of every 20 homeowners makes an insurance claim each year with around a fourth being from water damage/freezing.  When a water damage event occurs, it can create a lot of havoc for the property owner. 

On the front side of things, there are typically 3-5 days of drying out the structure. During this time, it will be determined what part of the structure is salvageable and what may just need to be removed to gain access to further wet areas and materials like insulation inside walls. 

On the back side of things, there is the reconstruction of the structure.  This may require packing out rooms or an entire house and moving offsite before construction can begin.  This can take quite some time to schedule and complete. A lot of this decision rests upon flooring.  Does the flooring need to be removed?  If so, what type of flooring is it?  Carpet, tile, laminate, hardwood, engineered hardwood?  Each of these takes a different amount of time depending on the available material and process. 

The type of flooring will determine if there is any hope of salvaging it. Often you will find tile in bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms…and for very good reason.  Tile is usually salvageable.  If tile is showing some give, or cracks have appeared since the event, the tile may need to be replaced.  If not replaced, tile should be monitored over the next 12 months.

A general rule of thumb is laminate or engineered hardwood will usually need to come up.  Engineered hardwoods look great these days but they are made out of layers of wood that can swell and degrade when wet.  Glued down engineered hardwood can be the most challenging to remove and thus can increase the length of the process. 

Carpet often can be saved but the carpet pad underneath needs to be replaced.  The pad is like a sponge and retains moisture and odor.  Fortunately, most carpet pad is pretty cheap and easy to replace. One of the tell tale signs that a carpet needs to be replaced is delamination.  Delamination is when the backing to a carpet comes apart from the fibers.

Last but not least are hardwood floors.  Different types of wood will be affected in different ways.  Usually, if cupping or buckling is going to occur it will happen in 7-14 days.  Sometimes the floor can settle back down, and sand and seal may be all that is needed.  However, the key is bringing the moisture level back to par which is typically around 16.  Every house and type of wood can have their own "standard".  If wood cannot be brought back to the benchmark, it is usually recommended to replace the floor.  

If you have a water damage event and have questions about your flooring, don't hesitate to give SERVPRO of Dallas Central a call at 214-664-9522!

The Benefits of a Nationally Recognized Mitigation Company

4/13/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Van in Downtown Dallas

With over 1,900 locations across the US and Canada, SERVPRO is one of most well known mitigation companies. 

SERVPRO was founded in 1967 out of California. The longevity has created trust for mass number of insurance companies that we work with, so much so that almost all of the biggest insurance companies have national agreements in place to service their customers.  As part of that agreement, SERVPRO has stringent criteria to be followed for each job.  Internally, SERVPRO has audits to make sure the guidelines are followed.  These are protections that most other mitigation companies do not have in place. 

Because of our relationship with the insurance companies, we can work directly with them behind the scenes to communicate must needed information, issues and approvals, get the appropriate documents submitted, and claims processed with little to no effort needed on the part of the customer.

In addition, large amount of insurance are required to make sure SERVPRO, insurance companies and customers alike are covered.  This provides great peace of mind for our clients.

Another benefit of SERVPRO is the presentation of crews when they are at your property.  You know it is SERVPRO by our easily recognizable green on our trucks, equipment and uniforms.  Our trucks, equipment and team members are presented in a clean and standardized manner.  

Onsite, our crews keep the job site clean and the customer well informed of the process and how things are progressing.  We know people's homes are an extension of their selves so we treat them with the utmost care.

SERVPRO is not only a fire and water mitigation company, we provide a variety of services like sewage, biohazard and post construction cleanup to name a few.  We are also very good at problem solving unusual issues. 

If you have a problem that needs solving, give us a call at 214-664-9522.  At SERVPRO of Dallas Central, we are always here to help.

Emergency Readiness Plan for Your Business

4/11/2022 (Permalink)

A sprinkler head accidentally was knocked off during routine maintenance causing water to flow into the floor or a large warehouse.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area has an ever growing population currently standing at around 7.8 million people as of mid 2021.  A lot of those people have followed as their companies moved to the region especially during the last 2 years.  All types of businesses have moved from standard commercial office buildings to strip centers to warehouses.  While remote work has become an option for a lot of businesses there is still a brick and mortar location for almost every company. 

Whether a building is big or tall, emergencies like pipes bursting, fire damage and sewage backups will occur.  During an event like this, chaos can reign allowing unnecessary damage to occur whether through degradation of the structure or ongoing business stoppage.

One of the best ways to alleviate the pain of an unexpected emergency is to have a plan together ahead of time.  Make sure management and maintenance teams have escape plans in place, also know where water shut-offs are as well as circuit breakers.  This additionally includes knowing where first aid kits and PPE are located. It is also a good idea to have at least one onsite employee to be certified in CPR. A list of important contacts is another essential item to have as part of the plan.  These would include a plumbing company, electric company, HVAC company and mitigation company as a start.  Depending on the type of business, other contacts may be needed. 

SERVPRO of Dallas Central is the emergency readiness plan mitigation contact for many companies.  We would love to be part of your plan....214-664-9522! 

Drywall Dust - Hard to Get Rid of Without Specialized Equipment, Chemicals & Knowledge

4/7/2022 (Permalink)

Drywall dust covered floor & furniture in a home after a long remodel

After any sort of repair, remodel or new build in a residential or commercial building there is dust in the air especially if drywall is involved.  Drywall dust is very invasive, getting into places thought impossible.  It usually settles in a thin layer everywhere but even the slightest movement can send the light dust airborne.  Trying to clean the drywall dust up with your run of the mill cleaning solutions will smear the dust and create a film of drywall mud.  

The solution to this problem is the right equipment, chemicals and knowledge. It is still a tedious process and may require several passes but it will get the job done effectively.  Below we will describe several of the best items to combat drywall dust. 

The first item to add to the equation is an air scrubber.  Most air scrubbers will clean 99% of the particulate out of the air using several layers of air filters.  These need to run at least while the cleaning is occurring but ideally for a couple days if possible.  This will capture any drywall dust that goes airborne while cleaning.

The major second component is a HEPA vacuum, preferably several and different types.  HEPA stands for high efficiency particulate air.  This is another device that uses a number of air filters to clean.  Regular vacuums do not have the layers of filters and will get clogged up and burnt out from the fine particulate.

Another essential element is a good cleaning solution.  There are chemicals specifically formulated for drywall dust removal. They are usually acidic in nature, and break down and dissolve the residue. 

Most every day people and household cleaning companies do not have these specialty items on hand.  If you need help with some drywall dust removal, give us a call at SERVPRO of Dallas Central.

April Showers Bring May Water Damage if You are Not Prepared

4/7/2022 (Permalink)

As the saying goes, April showers brings may flowers.... April is often the wettest month for most areas in the US.  Texas gets a lot rain in April and especially May.  Lots of water over a consistent period of time can cause numerous issues. Water is very intrusive and can find it's way into a building structure in a variety of ways.

Buildup of leaves in gutters can lead to water overflow and finding alternative paths to the ground.  Water can degrade wood structures and cause water inflow.  The simply solution here, make sure to clean your gutters regularly but especially during this time of the year.

Another common issue that we see is water coming in around windows.  Water seeps in and can rots wood studs along with causing growth and discoloration on the inside.  This can have a bad odor as well as cause health issues.  The answer here is to have your windows checked to make sure they are properly sealed.  Older windows can allow for a lot of seepage, if possible it may be best to just install new windows.

A third habitual offender is poor drainage especially in connection with a crawl space.  This can cause water and humidity to get stuck under a house.  This can percolate into the house and create higher humidity situations leading to growth and degradation of the interior.  Flooring can be seriously effected causing major buckling of hardwood floors.  In this situation, consulting a structural engineer could be of benefit.  Potential fixes include installing French drains, permanent sump-pumps, permanent dehumidifiers, etc.

These are just a few of the problems that can occur during our rainy season.  If something should happen, don't hesitate to give us a call at SERVPRO of Dallas Central.