Does My Entire Augusta Kitchen Floor Need Removal After Flood Damage?

8/23/2020 (Permalink)

To ensure there are no lasting effects of flooding, you need a professional to handle cleanup. Contact SERVPRO for professional remediation services.

SERVPRO techs use advanced detection equipment to ensure they only remove areas of the floor in Augusta properties that require extraction and drying

One of the most frustrating aspects of floodwater in your Augusta home is that it is impossible to determine all areas affected by it by sight. Because water follows the path of least resistance, it can run down walls, behind baseboards and seep under tile and wood flooring rapidly winding up far from the entry point. SERVPRO techs have multiple types of moisture and temperature detection equipment that can show the techs the path the water took once inside the home enabling for a complete removal. Through the use of this equipment, the techs only need to remove tiles that show water underneath and the rest can remain in place, saving the homeowner the cost of replacing an entire tile floor.

How Can SERVPRO Remove Flood Damage From a Subfloor?

Water that causes flood damage on your Augusta floor may seem overwhelming in terms of how to clean it up. While much of the water may have receded, the areas it went into need attention. The subfloor frequently has issues from floodwater, and after the removal of the carpet or tile above it, the techs can extract and dry using specialized devices specifically for delivering air into this type of surface like drying mats. SERVPRO technicians have extensive experience and the advanced equipment to locate and extract the problem areas throughout the job site such as:   

• Use of weighted extractor heads on carpet and upholstered items
• Performing of controlled demo to open up walls and floors as needed for removal and drying
• Water between levels in the floor joists needs special handling to ensure it gets completely dried

Equipment Needed for Floodwater Cleanup  

It would be impossible to get professional results from using a shop vac and regular consumer-grade fans to restore an Augusta home from floodwater. SERVPRO techs bring an array of advanced equipment to a home that needs cleanup such as:   

• Portable pumps to move quickly throughout an area for rapid water removal
• Air movers and most importantly dehumidification units to capture and port away moisture as it gets raised during the drying process
• A host of professional-grade cleaning agents to neutralize odors, bacteria and microbes

Using substandard equipment can take days and sometimes weeks to dry a structure. The air movers the techs use handle that drying of a home much more quickly. Monitoring the air moisture levels during drying is crucial to ensure the restoration services stay on track.

Mold is a potential issue whenever there is excessive moisture in a home for longer than a short period. SERVPRO techs have comprehensive education in both the prevention of and handling mold infestations. The techs have access to EPA-registered cleaning solutions and specific antimicrobial cleaners to limit the potential of mold colony establishment and growth. If mold gets found during the cleanup, the techs can contain the area and remediate the issue before it becomes a large-scale problem. Afterward, treatments such as antimicrobial sealants ensure there will be no return.

What Items Get Disposed Of During Floodwater Removal?  

There are a few factors that weigh in on what articles within the home get written off as non-restorable. One of the main determinants is how rapidly the cleanup began and if the water that entered the home contained bacteria or other contaminants. Anything that absorbs this type of water cannot get restored, however non-porous items exposed to the water but without taking any of it on may have the potential for sanitizing and reuse.

Cleaning stations are a common sight during the mitigation process. As items get brought out of the work area, another tech inspects it, photographs it and writes a detailed report of the actions taken. This keeps everyone involved on the same page for every phase of the cleanup.

Once the floodwater cleanup efforts complete, the SERVPRO crew chief can walk through the process that just happened and go over the actions taken from start to finish with the homeowner and adjuster. This not only ensures everyone gets informed, it also is a good way to ensure the homeowner is happy with the restoration job.

SERVPRO of Augusta at (706) 750-0200 is ready to handle any size flood damage in your home with their comprehensive training and advanced equipment. They can extract the water and minimize the amount of replacement needed to get your home back to the way it was, "Like it never even happened."