If You Have A Flooded Basement...

In the majority of situations, people who find that they have a flooded basement, or that the waters have receded, will usually start by contacting their insurance company, although if the basement is still flooded then trying to drain or pump out the water will certainly be a priority.  There is no doubt that it will be a difficult process, and there are a lot of things that will be affected by the consequences of a flooded basement.  But ultimately, it will require a lot of work and often a long time before the basement can be fully repaired and you can be certain there is no more residual damage to come.

One of the biggest problems when it comes to a flooded basement is that much of the woodwork that actually supports the house can become immersed in floodwater.  There are a range of issues that will need to be dealt with when looking at the beams and floorboards that may have been damaged by the flood.  Large wooden beams can often take months to dry out entirely, and one of the hardest things about a flooded basement is that it will mean months of checking on the woodwork to see that it has dried out properly, and that there is nothing that has started to eat away at the wood while it was damp.

Another aspect that will need to be considered for those who are dealing with the aftermath of a flooded basement is to document the damage that has been caused by the flood, and to pass all the relevant information on to the insurance company so that they can start to look at dealing with the insurance claim.  The quicker the insurance company gets all the relevant information, the quickly the problem can be dealt with and any damage be repaired, and the misery caused by the flooded basement can be forgotten and people can get on with their lives.

The consequences of a flooded basement will also require an awful lot of cleaning, as floodwater will usually carry a lot of bacteria and diseases.  And especially if it has a sewage element as a part of the flood water, then cleaning and disinfecting thoroughly will be vital.  It will not only be the walls and the floor either, as everything that will have been contacted by the water will need to be cleaned in the aftermath of the flooded basement, and eliminating any waterborne bacteria will be vital to making the basement safe to be used again.

Dealing with a flooded basement will often have to be done during a stressful time, which can already be a hard time in which to get things done, with so many different areas needing to be considered when resolving the problem.  By doing your best to be calm and being proactive in ensuring the work is done as quickly as possible, the repair of the flooded basement can be completed in a fairly quick and efficient way.

Coming home To Roost - Post Storm Mold...

The lead in for several blog entries now has been the same, that 2011 has been an incredibly busy year when it comes to severe weather.  Homes and businesses have been damaged at best, and swept away at worst.  For those affected, coming home after the storm can be a very rude awakening.  

The level of damage left behind can be staggering, overwhelming, and often traumatizing for property owners.  The aftereffects of water can many times be far more destructive than even fire, and the bad news is, water isn’t done even when the initial damage has been inflicted.

Untreated water can contribute to the premature rotting of wood or rusting of metal, both of which can compromise the structural stability of your home.  Worse, mold can appear, usually within 48 hours of a water damage event (or sooner of the water is sewage based).

The high water and humidity levels left behind by recent storms may mean that homeowners are in for a rather unpleasant homecoming. 

Mold usually grows anywhere there is sufficient moisture for it to do so.  In homes this usually means behind baseboards, inside of walls, or the interior of drywall construction. 

Dr. John Cohn, an allergist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, says mold can trigger allergies, or in rare cases, other illnesses, but common sense measures can prevent problems.

“I don’t think you need to go to extraordinary lengths to treat mold as a particularly dangerous, toxic compound.”

Basically, mold can be prevented by simply removing the excess water as soon as possible and drying everything out quickly.  The faster humidity levels in your home can be reduced, the less likely the chances for a mold problem to develop. 

Too many people mistakenly believe that it is enough to simply remove the excess water.  Quite the contrary, some water has to be actively looked for.  Water has a way of getting into areas of your home that you might not think to look in, usually your basement or crawlspaces, which can become ideal spots for mold to begin to grow.

No, ALL the water has to be removed, every surface completely dried out, cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized in order to prevent mold growth.  In the event that mold is discovered, it is not enough to simply remove it.  

The affected area will have to be properly treated in order to prevent the mold from returning.  Proper treatment includes reducing the level of humidity and moisture in the affected area, providing proper ventilation….basically creating an environment that is non-conducive to mold growth.

Water Damage Local.com is a nationwide network of water restoration providers, available 24/7, with a full staff of trained and experienced professionals, as well as the tool and procedures you need for getting water, mud, silt, debris, and yes, even mold out of your home following a water damage catastrophe.  One of our professionals can be at your door within an hour of your call, ready to assess your problem and being the restoration process.

Don’t let water damage open the door to additional problems for your home or place of business.  Contact the pros at Water Damage Local.com today!

As many of you may already know, mold damage is specifically excluded from all home insurance companies. According to Vicki Lankarge in her book “What Every Home Owner Needs to Know About Mold & What to Do About It,” she lists 4 damages resulting in exclusion from home insurance policies:

• Normal wear and tear
• Poor maintenance (you should have replaced the shower grout, but didn’t)
• Standing or surface water (unles it’s floodwater and you purchased separate flood insurance)
• Construction mistakes or defects (nails accidentally driven into water pipes or faulty home design)

Note : It is important to understand and be knowledgeable about what your insurance policy covers and what it does not.

Mold & Water Damage Claims

Again, Vicki Lankarge in her words of the same book, lists 14 steps to followafter your water damage claim has been identified :

• Stop the water leak or flow of water.
• Notify your insurer immediately. If you let any damage fester and don’t report it immediately, our claim may be denied. Remember, sudden leaks are covered, but chronic leaks are not.
• Ask what is required of you. Your duties, as outlined in most home insurance policies, may include:
1. Giving prompt written notice to your insurer of the facts surrounding your claim.
2. Protect your property from further damage.
3. Performing reasonable and necessary repairs to protect your property.
4. Keeping an accurate record of your repair expenses.
• Make a list of your damaged property and photograph or videotape the damage before making repairs.
• Don’t make large structural or permanent repairs to protect your home and belongings until your insurer has the opportunity to inspect the damage and gives you authorization to make permanent repairs.
  The insurance company may deny your claim if you amke permanent repairs before it inspects the damage.
• Remove standing water and begin drying the area.
• Remove water-soaked materials.
• Keep removed materials and move them to a secure, dry, and well-ventilated area, or outdoors.
• Protect repairable and undamaged items from further damage.
• Keep an activity log, including a record of all contact with your insurance company. This is extremely important.
  A log not only helps you stay focused and organized, it may play a key part in negotiations with your insurer should you encounter problems with your claim later on.
• Keep all receipts. For personal property claims, you must proved evidence that you bought the replacement items. If you bought materials for temporary repairs, receipts will help you get reimbursed.
• Don’t throw away removed or damaged materials until instructed by your insurance company.
• Don’t jeopardize your safety.
• Don’t exceed your personal financial or physical capabilites.

Original Article

Water Damage Local.com is available 24/7 for all your mold removal and other water damage restoration needs.

Flood Damage Round 2 - After The Storm...

In the wake of Irene and Lee, people are slowly beginning to return to their homes and businesses, and for the first time are able to really take in the level of damage these storms left behind.  As the clean up process begins, however, officials are warning folks about the dangers involved with treating flood damage to their property.

Officials are quick to warn people about the dangers of eating food that may have been exposed to contaminated flood waters.   It is always best to simply assume that any food left behind in your home is now contaminated.  In addition, well water should not be considered safe.  Many counties are distributing MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat) along with bottled water. 

A large number of people are still without power in many areas affected by Irene and Lee.  That said, it is always advisable to go ahead and shut off power supplies at their source.  The power will come back on at some point, and you want to be able to control when it does.  If you are standing in ankle deep water when the electricity comes surging back on, the results could be potentially fatal. 

In the same vein, flooding can also damage gas lines, so shut off your gas until the system can be professionally inspected.  Remember, it only takes a spark to trigger a rather severe result.

Unfortunately, many homes were so damaged by the storms that they will have to be condemned and torn down.

It is also important to note that floods leave behind a considerable amount of debris to be cleaned up, and people should not work through these debris piles unprotected.  Materials left behind by floods could contain toxic substances, harmful bacteria, and viruses.   It is strongly advised to wear protective clothing, long pants, sleeves, heavy duty gloves, waterproof boots, and eyewear when working around debris piles left behind by flood waters.    Always take a shower and clean any clothes that have come into contact with flood waters.

If you have cuts or scratches, keep them bandaged or covered.  Open skin wounds are the fastest way for harmful bacteria to enter your system.

Move as much flood related trash to curbside so that it can be picked up and properly disposed of.  Collection points may also be announced in various communities.

Even re-entering a flood damaged home can be a hazard.  Remember that a flood can literally shift a home on its foundation, making it prone to collapse.  You will want to make sure the building is structurally sound, that there isn’t a risk of the ceiling dropping on you, or the floor falling out from under you.  

And of course make sure that you don’t have any unwanted guests…..wildlife, particularly snakes, tend to show up in flood damaged homes.

If you don’t already have it, secure the contact information for a local, IICRC certified, water restoration provider.  Water Damage Local.com providers are available 24/7, with a full staff, the latest in equipment and procedures, and a full range of services from basic water extraction to serious restoration.  We can get started today and have you back in your home in no time at all.

The Aftermath Of Flooding And Water Removal

For those people who experience flooding in their home, it can be not only a disastrous incident which will take months, if not years, from which to recover, but also a project of work to repair and restore the property to the state it was in before the water removal became necessary.  However, in areas where the water hasn’t subsided and simply remains penned in a basement and is only slowly seeping away, then getting some help with the water removal itself will be a good place to start so that the recovery process can begin.

The first thing to decide when you find that not only has there been a flood, but the water hasn’t seeped away, is to look at the options available for water removal.  This will usually become necessary when a basement that is generally waterproof becomes flooded, and then there is nowhere that the water can drain to.  There is of course the manual, old-fashioned way of water removal, involving a fair bit of physical labor and plenty of buckets, but most people will look to find a pump to actually remove the water and to get the property free of water so that work to repair the damage can proceed as soon as possible.

In terms of the bodies and companies that provide water removal services, in many countries, the fire service will often have equipment designed for pumping water which can really help in actually clearing out any water that is left over from flooding.  But especially when an area has had extensive damage caused by flooding, the fire service will often be hard pressed to everybody who needs such water removal.  Therefore, many people will turn to the private companies that provide water removal services, and these will often levy a charge for the rent of the pump and the time needed in the actual removal of the water itself.

Unfortunately, water removal will often be a dirty job, and it is this reason why many people find the need to hire a professional, because in many flood areas, the water will often be contaminated with sewage, waste water, and a wide range of bacteria and diseases picked up from all sorts of different places in the drains.  For those who decide that they actually want to get right into it and carry out the water removal themselves, it is vital to make sure that the work is done safely, and that a thorough wash and disinfecting is carried out immediately after the task, to make sure that no waterborne diseases are spread.

On the whole, coping with a flood and carrying out the subsequent water removal will be something that most people will be able to deal with, and with the assistance of an insurance company it will often be as stress free as such a situation with such damage can be.  By working with the professionals, it will usually lead to the right result and the water removal being completed in a timely fashion.

A Break In The Hurricane Action....

After the one two knockout punches of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, which pulverized much of the Eastern and southern Gulf coasts, it would appear that Mother Nature is giving the United States mainland a momentary reprieve.

Communities are still crawling out from under the damage left over by Irene and Lee, with billions of dollars in water restoration costs staring property owners in the face.  No sooner had the cleanup process begun than reports began to circulate about a new tropical depression in the Atlantic basin.  Named Katia, this storm would eventually blow into a Category 4 hurricane, with initial models taking it along the same course Irene had followed two weeks before.  Fortunately, however, Katia curved back out to sea, weakening as she went, and posing no danger to the East Coast. 

The last week also saw the formation of Tropical Storm Nate in the Gulf Of Mexico.  Nate posed a momentary threat to the southern coast of Mexico, but dissipated rapidly without presenting any serious danger to the southern US coastline. 

Now we have Hurricane Maria moving past the Caribbean and Bahamas, possibly strengthening into a category 2 storm over the next few days.  Maria is not expected to impact the US coastline, but may adversely affect the Bahamas and possibly southern Canada if she continues along her current projected path.  

The US coast may experience effects of Maria in the form of stronger surf and rip currents.

Maria comes along as we move into the peak of hurricane season, which will end November 30.  Already the season has been a busy one, with forecasters actually modifying their predictions of just how many named storms will be seen this year. 

Florida, which has routinely found itself in the crosshairs of storms forming in the Atlantic basin, has been spared Mother Nature’s wrath so far this year, but that could change over the coming three months.  The last major hurricane to strike Florida was Hurricane Wilma in 2005.

Unfortunately, inactivity can breed complacency, and it is only natural that folks might have the tendency to get lazy, not making adequate preparations for the arrival of a strong storm. 

For now and the remainder of hurricane season 2011, resident in Hurricane Alley (and pretty much anywhere along the coast) should be diligent in watching the news for reports of newly formed tropical depressions or storms.  Technology has provided for excellent computer models to be drawn up with regard to a given storm’s projected path (the models generated for Irene proved to be right on the money), which makes it possible for home and business owners to make adequate preparations, secure their property, and get out of harm’s way in plenty of time. 

In the event of serious storm or hurricane damage, Water Damage Local.com is your one stop shop for water restoration and repair services.  Our network of providers is available 24/7 and able to handle even the largest water damage repair needs, from water removal and drying, carpet cleaning, mold remediation, etc…..let Water Damage Local.com serve the needs of you and your family following the next great disaster.

Steps To Take In Repairing Basement Flooding...

As the room at the bottom of the house, the basement and its contents will often be the most susceptible to flooding.  So if this does happen, taking the right steps to cleaning and repairing the consequences of basement flooding can be a very important step to getting back full use of the property.  Because the floodwater does tend to get everywhere, making sure that all of the water is removed, and that the whole basement is thoroughly cleaned will be very important to make sure that basement flooding doesn’t have permanent consequences to the property.

Probably the first thing that must be done when trying to deal with basement flooding is to make sure that everything is dried out, and that all the flood water is either carried, drained or pumped out from the basement. After that, then starting to repair the damage caused by the basement flooding can be carried out.  There are specific problems which can arise when trying to dry out after the basement flooding, and this can be especially problematic when wooden supports for the main property have been immersed, because it can take many months for those to actually dry out. 

Another area where it can be particularly difficult to actually deal with after basement flooding is in cleaning the basement.  Because flood water will also often have a dirty or even a sewage element, it is vital to make sure that the basement is thoroughly clean to make sure that it is safe to use, and that any diseases that may have been carried by the flood water are eliminated.  For this, disinfecting all of the surfaces which were contacted during the basement flooding will be important.  And although it may not be pleasant, it will also help to reduce the chance of a long term problem with smell from the flooding.

Once the basement flooding has been cleaned and repaired, many people will view this as a trigger to start looking at how they can deal with the threat of flooding in the future and how they can reduce the chances of the basement being flooded again.  Looking at plans such as adding a drain that will help get any future floodwater out of the basement, isolating the electronic system, and raising any sockets that are close to the floor can all be a part of the plan to help flood proof the basement, so that the results will be less pronounced if more basement flooding would occur.

Being practical when trying to deal with basement flooding is certainly the best approach to the problem, and getting specialist help will often be a very good idea for those who haven’t dealt with the situation before, as there are many things that will need to be considered.  Taking steps to help prevent basement flooding from occurring, or if it is difficult to prevent, then trying to flood proof the basement will also help to make the recovery from the situation in the future much easier.