What Can Coral Springs Homeowners Do to Prepare for Flooding?

9/27/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO at (954) 973-4130 stands ready to assist local property owners in the cleanup of any size flood damage in their homes.

Actions homeowners take before a flood in their Coral Springs home can make the difference in the outcome when SERVPRO mitigates the loss

Coral Springs homeowners regularly deal with intense storms, including hurricanes. With these strong systems, flash flooding is frequently part of the problem. There are some things that homeowners can do before the damage from flooding is an issue such as:
    •    Elevating electrical items on the floor such as strip plugs and electrical devices such as computers, stereos, and appliances  
    •    Direct the flow of water away from your property by elevating the grade as needed on your landscape  
    •    Investing in environmental monitoring that can alert you to elevations in moisture throughout your home can allow you to act quickly if water does enter   
    •    Clean debris and leaves from your gutters around your home, and invest in gutter covers if feasible  
    •    Make a list of valuables, copies of prescriptions, and essential papers and place them in a secure, waterproof lockbox in a place you can grab it quickly if you need to evacuate

How Does Mold Show Up So Rapidly After Flood Damage?
Once flood damage occurs in your Coral Springs home, under most circumstances, you have roughly 48 hours before mold colonies have the potential also to be an issue. SERVPRO technicians have extensive training in handling mold as an added challenge during floodwater extraction and drying in a property. This SERVPRO has a mold remediation certification #MRSR2994 and has the equipment and methods to turn around a mold infestation. The reason this time frame is so crucial is that the elevated humidity levels from the floodwater along with the warm Florida temps create an ideal environment for naturally occurring mold spores to germinate and begin to spread. The techs know what the initial setup of a mold infestation looks like along with the early warning signs such as:
    •    Water spots on walls may harbor mold growth on the interior
    •    Visible mold colonies  
    •    Musty odors

What Happens to Flood and Mold Damaged Building Materials?
There are a few different outcomes for the sheetrock and flooring in a home with damage from floodwater.
    •    Items that absorb floodwater and cannot get sanitized need disposal  
    •    SERVPRO techs cut off the minimum amount of sheetrock needed to limit the number of repairs needed and save as much cost on replacement building materials as possible
    •    Carpet needs extraction to get rid of the water-weight and then gets cut into strips and disposed of
    •    Most types of tile and laminate flooring delaminate after exposure to floodwater. Ceramic tile with sealed grout lines tends to have the least amount of seepage into the substrate and often gets restored for reuse
    •    Hardwood floorboards have varied outcomes depending on the amount of exposure to water the boards received

After extracting the water from the home and drying it, the techs prepare the property for the needed repairs. Controlled demolition is a standard part of restoration after damage from floodwater. Often it is easiest for homeowners to choose to work with SERVPRO on both the restoration and rebuilding needed to bring the home to the same condition as it was before the floodwater entered.

This SERVPRO has a contractor license #CBC1261730 and can perform the needed repairs. One of the most significant benefits of letting the people who managed the cleanup of your property do the rebuilding know exactly what actions were taken and what is needed to restore the home. Many homeowners take the opportunity during the reconstruction to choose new carpet, the updated color palette for the walls, and other cosmetic options to upgrade the look of their house. Before any reconstruction efforts begin, SERVPRO communicates with your insurance carrier to ensure that all actions taken are part of the scope of coverage, so there are no surprise out of pocket expenses.

How Do the Musty Odors of Floodwater Get Removed?
While the extraction of the water and drying the structure go a long way to reducing the odor, frequently, it does not get eliminated until the application of more robust methods. Two of the most commonly used are the use of thermal fogging and hydroxyl generators. Both of these devices work to remove odors at the molecular level rather than only covering them up temporarily, such as in the use of sprays.

SERVPRO of West Coral Springs / West Parkland at (954) 973-4130 stands ready to assist local property owners in the cleanup of any size flood damage in their homes. The techs arrive quickly and can handle the restoration as well as the reconstruction of your home to make it “Like it never even happened.”