Can My Water Damaged Contents Be Salvaged?

6/22/2022 (Permalink)

We will always try and save as many of your possessions as possible.

One of the common calls that we get at SERVPRO Burlington/Middlebury is from customers dealing with a water loss inside their home. We understand that your belongings are valuable to you, so we work quickly and put together a plan that allows us to salvage as much as possible. Each job site is unique, so we formulate the best combination of techniques, equipment, and skills to get the job done. 

What Happens When You Arrive at My Home?

Immediately after receiving your call, our team at SERVPRO Burlington/Middlebury will come out to perform an assessment. The crew chief works with the technicians to put steps into play that allow us to clean up the water and make sure that your belongings are addressed in a timely manner. The initial phase of our cleanup efforts set the tone for the rest of the steps moving forward.

What Are the Different Types of Water Damage?

Salvageability of the items throughout your home will depend on whether the water is deemed clean or contaminated. Clean water damages have a much higher salvageability rate, whereas contaminated water incidents pose potential health hazards that typically limit the number of items that we can save. 

Clean water incidents include:

• Water that comes from leaking appliances, such as dishwashers, water heaters, etc.
• Water from leaking or burst pipes

Contaminated water incidents include:

• Sewage backups
• Flooded basements
• Overflowing sinks, tubs, showers, and toilets
• Flooding that results from firefighting efforts
• Floodwater from storm damage

What if My Belongings Have Been Saturated for a Long Time?

We always take into consideration the length of time that the materials and belongings inside your home have been saturated with water. The longer that certain elements sit in the water, the further the water permeates. For example, solid wood furniture does not take on water as fast as a pressboard or drywall. Any porous materials like carpeting, upholstery, and other fabrics have an increased risk of mold and mildew growth. Our technicians work quickly to increase the chance of restoring your porous interior belongings, while non-porous items like porcelain, metal, or marble can be dried and disinfected much faster. 

What Do You Bring to Help with Water Restoration?

We utilize a wide range of professional equipment to help us address water and moisture removal throughout your home. Once we determine the level of water cleanup necessary, we then deploy pumps and extractors to remove as much as possible in a short period of time. Some of the equipment on the trucks that allow us to commence with water restoration include:

• Portable or truck-mounted extraction units that help address varying levels of water removal.
• Deep extraction equipment like self-propelled tools and stationary tools use weight to help push water from carpets and padding so that the vacuum unit can take it away. 
• Light wands, also known as carpet wands, help remove water from the glue-down carpet. 
• Air moving equipment helps speed up evaporation and drying times at the surface level. We strategically place air movers to produce optimal airflow that replaces the cool air at saturation level with drier, warmer air from our dehumidifiers.
• For hidden moisture within wall cavities, our technicians use structural cavity drying equipment. This allows us to direct airflow throughout wall cavities while increasing the rate of evaporation.
• We also carefully place dehumidifiers that help our crew to remove as much water vapor from the air as possible. Lowering this water vapor in the air also cuts the humidity levels, thus speeding up drying times. We use a unique formula that tells us how many dehumidifiers should be used in unison with air movers to provide optimum results.

How Can I Be Sure That My Home Is Safe from Mold Growth?

In order to successfully complete a water cleanup project, our SERVPRO Burlington/Middlebury technicians thoroughly clean and disinfect surfaces with industrial-strength products that slow or inhibit microbial growth.

• Broad-spectrum EPA -registered disinfectants are applied to non-porous surfaces when potential microbial contamination is suspected.
• Products are applied to walls, baseboards, subfloors, and any other organic materials prone to odors and microbial development.
• Non-porous surfaces are wiped down and thoroughly disinfected.
• Deodorizers may also be applied to the backs of carpets, carpet fibers, and other materials to help cut back on odors.

Our technicians follow standards put forth via the Institute of Inspection, Restoration, and Cleaning, also known as IICRC. This allows us to set a solid course of action for your water cleanup, drying, cleaning, and any additional necessary repairs. Give yourself the gift of peace of mind and call our team at SERVPRO Burlington/Middlebury in your time of need. It'll be “Like it never happened”.