Does Flooding Cause Permanent Losses to Homes and Contents?

10/5/2020 (Permalink)

Are you ready for this weekend's coming storm? Call SERVPRO for fast, effective remediation.

Flood Damage Can Be Devastating for New Orleans Homeowners. SERVPRO is a Local Restoration Service that Can Return your Home to its Pre-loss Condition

Why does flooding occur during storms?

Violent weather events that hit New Orleans frequently result in flooding for the residents. Flooding can be attributed to many causes, but the damage to infrastructure and heavy rainfall is one of the primary reasons for neighborhood flooding. Residents can combat flooding by ensuring that their sump pumps and drainage are well-maintained throughout the year. Equally, installing flood bricks can help to reduce the destruction a storm can have on your home. After the event, using a professional restoration service can help mitigate the losses typically associated with flooding, clean your house, restoring, or removing damaged materials. You can contact SERVPRO twenty-four-hours a day in an emergency to arrange a flood inspection.

What is standard flood mitigation?

When a home suffers flood damage in New Orleans, the most critical action to take is mitigation. Mitigation involves reducing the number of losses that are occurring in the property. Switching off mainline electricity is an example of emergency mitigation because it reduces the likelihood of electrical fire or permanent wiring damage. Our technicians can perform essential mitigation duties like boarding up the structure, removing standing water levels, and drying the property to prevent your home from suffering permanent harm. These are known methods, proven to reduce the number of losses that homeowners suffer during emergencies. They are also useful at prepping a property for in-depth restoration by allowing workers to operate safely and sanitary.

How do technicians prepare a flooded property for restoration?

• Establishing a safe source of electricity for equipment use
• Clearing the property of contamination, debris, and standing water
• Providing temporary lighting for general construction and restoration 

What are floodwater extractors?

Extraction units are essential to proper flood damage restoration in your New Orleans property. These equipment are available in small portable systems or as part of a large truck-mount. A property with multi-level damages can benefit from portable extractors allowing technicians to operate on all floors. Truck-mounted extractors have larger storage tanks, longer runtime, and a more powerful vacuum system. Portable extractors may need temporary generators to provide electricity, whereas a truck-mount is self-sufficient, running from the truck. Stocking a combination of these two types of extractors helps ensure that SERVPRO technicians can begin mitigating flood losses quickly on arrival.

Can water extractors be used on carpets?

Carpet fibers are highly porous, meaning they can absorb large quantities of floodwater and contamination. Drying carpets quickly is essential to the mitigation process as it prevents mold growth and the deterioration of fibers. SERVPRO technicians use light wands to extract water from glue-down carpets. These wands can also be useful after a weighted extraction tool has removed most water from a carpeted surface. A light rod can allow technicians to dry a carpeted floor without removing the carpet or pad, increasing efficiency in some situations.

What are deep extraction tools?

• Self-propelled extractors automatically move across carpets, compressing both the rug and pad
• Stationary extractors can squeeze out moisture from 200 square inches of carpet in ten to fifteen seconds
• weighted extraction tools use either the weight of the technician or construction weight to draw water from thicker carpet fibers

Can carpets return to normal conditions after flooding?

Fibers can be up to 50% weaker when wet, making permanent damage relatively high. Equally, a contaminated water intrusion event can make carpets non-salvageable. For some carpeting, it is possible to return them to their preloss condition after water intrusion. SERVPRO technicians can pre-condition the carpet then clean it using hot-water extraction. A buffering tool like a rotary machine can help fluff out carpet fibers to return them to a good condition. When restoring carpets, it is vital to consider how much time and how expensive it is to repair them rather than replace them. Often, thin glue down carpets are replaceable with the minimum expense, which can aid an efficient restoration process.

What can emergency lighting be brought into a flood-damaged home?

• Stand lights are powerful, inexpensive, and portable, making them ideal for directional lighting.
• Wobble lighting is very resilient but can be limited for task working.
• String lights can stretch up to 100 ft in length and are ideal for creating safe, lit pathways in the home. 

Flooding from a storm can be a debilitating experience. To protect your home and contents from further damage, contact SERVPRO of The New Orleans Westbank at (504) 348-7526.