Flood Restoration- Tampa flooring for Carpet, Wood, Ceramic Tile, Laminate, Stone, Vinyl, etc.

THIS PAGE
   Tell a Friend
   Coupon
   Bookmark
   Print

Flood Restoration -
Water Damage Repair

Water's elusive nature in a liquid form and water's invisible ability to saturate the air in a gas form makes flood recovery very complicated. This article gives an overview of the restoration process with a breakdown between the two types of water damage: primary and secondary damage.

Restoration of Primary Damage. The primary damage is the obvious part that creates the initial alarm. The pipe breaks. Water runs from the kitchen to the dining room, etc. In the process, items under the sink get soaked. The wood in the kitchen is submerged, and the carpet in the dining room may be floating three inches off the slab. The items and surfaces that get wet with the initial flood is the primary damage.

The early moments after the flood are some of the most critical. SAFETY FIRST: You may need to turn off the power at the electrical panel and operate off of flashlights until electrical shock is not a risk. Electrical equipment should be approached with extreme caution. (Thankfully, a breaker should trip if there is an unsafe flux.) SAFETY FIRST: If the water was contaminated, avoid direct contact by using rubber shoes, gloves, etc. (Contaminated water is called gray water or black water depending on the water's impurities.) Next, find the source of the leak, and shut it off. You may need to shut off the water at the main exterior valve. Then, call your insurance agent to get an adjustor out immediately if possible. Likewise, call Wolfe Flooring or another qualified restoration company to extract the water. We can pull the carpet back if necessary or use a method of surface drying whereby we extract from the carpet's surface to below the cushion. If a camera is handy, you should take lots of pictures of the damage before beginning the restoration. Otherwise, have us take pictures or get the pictures later. All furniture and colored rugs should be immediately removed from the affected areas. Many types of wood and metal furniture pieces may not only suffer water damaged, but can also create permanent stains in the flooring surfaces. Remove all smaller items affected. Finally, attempt to contain the water if possible until we arrive with extraction equipment.

Floods on the upper floors of multistory buildings pose special challenges. Make sure that the air ducts are checked for damage.

Restoration of Secondary Damage. The secondary damage is the damage that occurs in the days and weeks to follow. After the emergency extraction is done, a large amount of moisture will likely still remain in the walls, floor surfaces, and other items. We strongly recommend that you remove items from the affected areas (or, possibly out of the house) if the relative humidity (Rh) is heavy. We can give you the Rh reading with a digital meter. Paintings, pictures, posters, books, etc. will began to absorb the moisture in the air which can cause irreparable damage. The moisture will slowly begin to travel up the walls. Moisture can travel a few inches high or several feet high. Wolfe Flooring technicians will perforate your walls and hardwood floors as necessary (with your permission). The thousands of pin holes allow moisture to escape. We measure moisture in various surfaces using a non-penetrating, moisture detection tool. The baseboards, wood floors, and other wood surfaces will also begin to absorb the water which will cause the wood to bend. Picture frames will split at the joints; baseboards and quarter-round molding will pull off away from the walls; and, wood floors will begin to cup. Eventually, virtually all surfaces trapping moisture will grow mold or mildew if the temperature is warm enough and the moisture at threatening levels. Moisture residue will also create a souring smell throughout the room.

The solution to these problems is ample drying equipment, a safe temperature, and chemicals. You'll need air handlers (a.k.a., blowers) to circulate the air. Dehumidifiers are designed to dry out the air. Set your temperature to about 75 degrees F. An application of mildewcide or an anti-microbial should be applied to prevent the growth of mold or mildew and the souring smell and to kill bacteria, germs, and viruses (if the water was contaminated). Our technician will make the various determinations for the equipment and chemicals needed after the emergency extraction or an on-site inspection. The drying process should be faithfully monitored until the all surfaces are safe again.

Putting It All Back Together. Of course, we are completely capable of restoring you various flooring surfaces once the drying process is over. In fact, many customers who do not use Wolfe Flooring for the emergency extraction will contact us later for the restoration of the flooring surfaces because our specialized background with repairs. Carpet cushion often needs to be replaced. Carpet has to be reinstalled and maybe cleaned. Wood will have to be replaced or resurfaced. Vinyl may or may not have to be replaced depending on whether mildew develops under the wear layer. Baseboards and quarter-round molding may have to be reattached or caulked. Ceramic tile is usually unaffected. We are also able to recommend contractors to assist with the plumbing problems and structural repairs if needed. Please call us for more details.

Our pricing generally follows The Bluebook of Cleaning Reconstruction & Repair Costs for residential & light commercial cost guide.
Top

Home Page