Cleanup after the storm...

5/20/2020 (Permalink)

How Do I Clean Contaminated Flood Water in My Home?

SERVPRO Has Vast Experience Handling Hazardous Water Cleanup in Homes

Category three groundwater is one of the worst types of water loss that can affect a home. The water ruins anything porous it touches, and the longer it remains in the house, the more damage that it does. This is particularly true for the flooring in a home. Fast action is needed to enable the best outcome for the home and contents. 

What is Potentially in Floodwater?

When groundwater is the cause of the flood damage in your home, there can be many types of problems present within the water. As the water travels, it picks up everything it comes in contact with and brings it along. SERVPRO technicians regularly perform restoration services on flood loss that contains one or more pathogenic, toxigenic, or other harmful agents. Additionally, all types of mud and debris may potentially be in the water in the home.

What Does Floodwater Do To Flooring?

The outcome of your flooring in your home after a floodwater disaster is dependent on how fast the cleanup efforts began. After groundwater enters a home, it migrates into any area that offers the least resistance. SERVPRO techs know from experience some of the most common places affected by floodwater are:

• Under tile
• Behind baseboards
• Through floor joists into basements or crawlspaces
• Within carpet 
• Subfloor

Thorough Extraction of Floodwater is Critical

After a floodwater event in a home, the timer starts ticking on the level of damage. For example, if the water gets extracted quickly after the initial water loss event, there is a higher chance that the rapid response works to inhibit the level of damage to the structure. 

Because of the contaminated nature of this water, SERVPRO techs often apply treatments to lessen the contagions present before beginning mitigation. When handling this type of loss, the techs wear protective clothing, including eye protection and respirators. This is because harmful pathogenic elements can enter the body through the eyes or aspiration. 

It is not unusual for the original amount of water to have receded and migrated into the structure. The techs understand the movement of water within a home and use their moisture detection equipment to determine the true scope of the area that needs mitigation.  

Controlled Demolition is Part of the Restoration Process

When groundwater wicks into sheetrock, it rapidly deteriorates, and to save as much as possible of the structure, rather than remove the entire portion of the wall space, the techs measure several inches above the waterline and cut away the destroyed part. This action serves the dual purpose of removing damaged materials and opening up the wall cavities for complete drying. 

While ceramic tile with sealed grout tends to have the best outcome from flood loss, adhesive tiles tend to delaminate rapidly and may need removal. The techs inspect any removed materials for the potential for cleaning and reuse to save the homeowners the cost of replacement. 

When contaminated water saturates carpet, it is almost always a loss as it cannot get returned to a sanitized state for reuse. Due to the weight of wet carpet, the techs extract and sometimes dry the carpet before cutting it into strips for disposal as a biohazard. 

Any structure materials or contents that require disposal get documented, including photos to assist the homeowner in the filing of insurance claims.

Specialized Drying Methods Get Used 

When the tile of the carpet gets removed, SERVPRO techs concentrate on drying the subfloor to prep the area for the reinstallation of floorcoverings. Depending on the surface, getting dried may involve specific applications such as: 

• Drying mats on hardwood floorboards and subfloor
• Tenting plastic over wet areas and directing air into the space that needs drying
• Using Injecti-Dry systems to force warm, dry air into small places

How Do Wet Items in a Home Get Restored After Flood Damage?

It depends on the materials that make up each object. Porous items tend to fare poorly after exposure to contaminated water and only rarely have restoration possibilities. Non-porous things that respond well to methods such as immersion cleaning tend to have the most potential for a positive outcome after this type of water loss. SERVPRO techs have access to a vast array of cleaning agents, including powerful biocides and antimicrobial solutions.

SERVPRO of Burlington/Middlebury at (802) 497-1101 stands ready 24/7 to handle any size flood damage in local properties. Through the use of their advanced equipment and knowledge, they can return the home to its preloss condition.