How Do We Dry a Water Heater Leak?

9/16/2022 (Permalink)

Flood cuts allow us to completely dry areas affected by water damage.

Many of our customers have little to no experience when it comes to mitigation.  We get many questions everyday about how we do what we do.  In an effort to pull back the curtain on our process, we’re going to detail one of our recent jobs in this blog post.

In this particular case, a water heater on the first level of a house had a major leak that pretty much affected the entire floor.  Luckily, the owners had installed water resistant floor tiles, so the floor didn’t retain any of the water.  The drywall, however, was not so lucky.  Using our moisture meters, our Production Technicians found substantial moisture readings behind the walls.  The readings were high enough to require us to make a two-foot flood cut in almost every wall. 

A flood cut removes the bottom two feet of drywall, not just to remove irreparable damage, but also to allow us to aim our air movers and dehumidifiers directly behind the wall.  When done right, this ensures all potential moisture is removed and no pesky mold forms.  Once we were able to completely dry all the walls, our Construction Team went in and replaced all the cut-out drywall and baseboards.  Then we matched the paint job, so all of the rooms looked just as they did before the leak.

Hopefully, this helps you understand some of the steps we take to mitigate your water damage.  It’s one of the many ways we make any disaster “like it never even happened!”

Flooding and Water Emergencies - Not Just an 8 AM - 5 PM Service

8/31/2020 (Permalink)

Have you ever noticed that the low battery indicator alarm in your smoke detectors always seem to alert you in the middle of the night??

Well, just like your smoke detector, flooding and water emergencies don’t always wait for regular business hours to occur.  Luckily, SERVPRO of Panhandle provides emergency cleaning and restoration services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—including all holidays.

Faster to Any Size Disaster

Flooding and water damage can be very invasive. Water quickly spreads throughout your home and gets absorbed into floors, walls, furniture, and more.  SERVPRO of Panhandle arrives quickly and starts the water extraction process almost immediately. This immediate response helps to minimize the damage and the cleaning and restoration costs.

Water Damage Timeline

Within Minutes

• Water quickly spreads throughout your property, saturating everything in its path.
• Water is absorbed into walls, floors, upholstery, and belongings.
• Furniture finishes may bleed, causing permanent staining on carpets.
• Photographs, books, and other paper goods start to swell and warp.

Hours 1 - 24:

• Drywall begins to swell and break down.
• Metal surfaces begin to tarnish.
• Furniture begins to swell and crack.
• Dyes and inks from cloth and paper goods spread and stain.
• A musty odor appears.

48 Hours to 1 Week:

• Mold and mildew may grow and spread.
• Doors, windows, and studs swell and warp.
• Metal begins to rust and corrode.
• Furniture warps and shows signs of mold.
• Paint begins to blister.
• Wood flooring swells and warps.
• Serious biohazard contamination is possible.

More Than 1 Week:

• Restoration time and cost increase dramatically; replacing contaminated materials and structural rebuilding may be extensive.
• Structural safety, mold growth, and biohazard contaminants pose serious risks to occupants.

About SERVPRO of Panhandle

SERVPRO of Panhandle specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

Need Emergency Service? Call Us 24/7 – 304-263-0640

Water Damage Tips

11/14/2019 (Permalink)

Ceiling cave in from water weight.

Water damage is a big problem that can destroy not only your home and finances, but also the sentimental items that you can’t put a price tag on. For that reason it’s a good idea to know the causes of water damage. But if you cannot avoid it then here are some tips on what to do if you have been victimized by it.

The first concern should be the safety of you and whoever else is in the affected home or area. Some of the most common causes of injury after water damage to a structure are slip hazards, and electrical shock due to careless mistakes that could have been avoided. On this note, don’t just go about business as usual, avoid kitchen appliances, and avoid tampering with major electrical devices that are connected to the building until authorities have deemed that it is safe to do so. This includes ceiling fans, lights, and televisions.

The next concern should be to begin the cleanup process. Depending on the severity of your damage you may need to contact the local authorities, and insurance provider, but eventually they will most likely get a SERVPRO® crew out to your location to fix it up.

Learn more about water damage, or any of the other services that we offer at SERVPRO®. If you find yourself dealing with a disaster, and need emergency repair, contact SERVPRO® of Panhandle today!  (304) 263-0640

Water Damage is not a DIY Project

9/28/2019 (Permalink)

When you think of water damage what comes to mind?  Flooding? Basements? When I think of water damage I think of ceilings.  A Leaky roof or an upstairs bathroom flooding can cause water damage leading to wet ceilings and/or walls.  If you’ve bought a new home with past water damage you may not see the signs for a few months when the telltale marks start to bleed through the new paint.  

Paint is like a bandage covering a problem but not fixing it at all.  In fact your paint may not be covering a spot of old water damage but hiding a larger problem of a still leaking pipe or dampness or condensation in your walls.  I’m sure you know where this is heading...mold! Mold is preventable. There is no need to get paralyzed with fear when you hear the “M” word or cover it and hope it will go away (it won’t).  Mold is a natural occurrence, call the SERVPRO of Panhandle Mold Remediation Professionals if you think you may have mold. Equally important though is calling SERVPRO of Panhandle when you have water damage.  It is important to clean and dry the area correctly to help prevent mold issues. We are trusted, trained professionals and we are here 24/7/365 to help you. 

When I think of water damage I also think of Cousin Eddie.  This is one of my personal experiences with water damage. We had just moved into a brand new home.  Cousin Eddie dropped in to say “hi.” Cousin Eddie ended up spending the night! The next morning at breakfast Cousin Eddie says: “Man, you guys have a nice bathtub!”  I’m thinking, what??? Our tub is an average shower/tub combo. Hmmm. Then Cousin Eddie says this: “I took a bath this morning. I think I was 12 the last time I was able to fit in a tub.  Yours is so big I could be fully submerged in the water!!!” (NO, it is definitely NOT!!!) I may have let out a half whimper/sob as my eyes went to the ceiling (I couldn’t help it, I had to know).  Sure enough, the ceiling was already starting to bulge with water. In Cousin Eddie’s defense (there really is none), part of the problem was the overflow valve on the bath tub wasn’t hooked up or hooked up poorly so it had the same effect as if Cousin Eddie’s bath water overflowed the tub onto the floor.  In the bathtub overflow valve’s defense, it didn’t stand a chance of keeping up with the overflow of Cousin Eddie!  

If you have a Cousin Eddie incident call SERVPRO of Panhandle.  We are “faster to any size disaster” leaving your house “Like it never even happened.”  Phew!

Add us to your contacts!

(304) 263-0640

Commercial Water Damage Preparedness

6/15/2017 (Permalink)

commercial water damage

Water Damage Tips For Office Buildings

Water damage is a threat to the safety of occupants, and the finances of the owners, but not just of residential homes, but also of commercial buildings. In the Martinsburg, WV that means plenty of retail stores, banks, and the other commercial structures. In times of severe flooding or plumbing failure this damage could even stop your business from performing daily tasks, which halts daily business, causing you to lose money!

Here, we go over some basic preventative and responsive best practices that tenants of commercial buildings can use to get back to business quickly.

Preventative Measures

There are things you can do to minimize the damage due to water leaks in a commercial environment. First, educate your office managers on water damage preparedness. This includes having your managers learn how to turn off the water, electric, and gas supply. If you don’t have access to these things, then they should know who to call to have such things done. It’s also a good idea to have some basic tools in the office in the event of an emergency. Lastly, have a list of emergency contact phone numbers for all employees so that in the worst-case scenario the loved ones of those injured can be notified. Of course, you should already have the contact information for your local fire and police numbers, so that anyone who is injured can get medical attention if needed.

Response

Just as with residential structures, rapid response is critical to water damage in an office. The longer water is in an affected the area the more of a chance there is that it will be affected by mold, which is another problem altogether.

The best course of action is:

1. Call a plumber to fix the source of the loss;
2. Call SERVPRO of Panhandle to remediate the damage.

Of course, you can call your insurance first, but remember, we are also experts at the insurance side of damages as well, and can help you get the best coverage, so you may call us to work with your insurance as well.

At SERVPRO of Panhandle we are the leaders of commercial water damage restoration. Contact us today to learn more!

Insurance Claims on Water Damage

5/19/2017 (Permalink)

Insurance Claims on Water Damage

Water damage is a common insurance claim among home owners. If you are about to make a claim on water damage to your home it’s good to know what to expect. There are some items that homeowners generally have an easier time making claims for than others. 

If you need help making a claim on water damage repairs for your home contact us now!

Problem Areas:

There are some losses that homeowners typically run into problems when trying to make a claim to their insurance company for. These include loss that resulted from gradual damage. Gradual damage is anything that happened over the course of a prolonged period, as opposed to an accident, or a sudden damage, which happens as the result of one single event.

Loss such as leaky ceilings due to plumbing defects, water damage caused by cracks in the foundation, and in some cases, mold, fall under the category of gradual damage. These things are generally not covered by insurance. However, there may be some exceptions. For example, if mold was the result of another claim that was covered under insurance, but was not properly fixed, the insurance company would likely cover it.

On the other hand, if the water damage is sudden and accidental you’ll probably have a much easier time getting covered for the damages. This is the true nature of insurance – to cover accidents. Of course everything is dependent upon the language of the policy that you purchased, but this is the very nature of insurance: coverage for sudden and accidental loss. A good practice for homeowners is to keep a record of all repairs and transactions for services that are made to your home.

At SERVPRO of Panhandle we are not only experts at restoring your home as if it never even happened, we are also experts at dealing with insurance companies. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you through the entire recovery process today!

Leaky Ceiling

5/15/2017 (Permalink)

Leaky Ceiling

Leaky Ceilings can be disastrous to your home or business. They can also be detrimental to your time, and money because it is often hard to determine the cause of the leak. All you know is the ceiling is dripping, but you don’t yet know why. Therefore, finding the cause of the leak can delay the repair process, but it can also add to the expense of the repairs because the longer it takes to find the leak the more damage it will cause.

So the first thing you should do is either call the experts at SERVPRO, or, if you are going to tackle the problem yourself, least eliminate all the obvious non-causes so that you can start to pin-point the problem.

When trying to determine the cause of a leaky ceiling consider whether the leak occurs only in inclement weather, or if it occurs non-stop. If the leak only occurs when it is raining or snowing outside it’s a safe bet that the roof could be source of the leak. On the other hand, if the leak occurs regardless of the weather conditions outside then the leak is most likely caused by a plumbing line inside the house or structure.

Another thing that can help you pin-point the source of the problem is to consider is the water itself. Does it appear to be clear and fresh? If so, that could indicate to you that the water is coming from the water supply line. On the other hand, if water is coming from the roof you could see that dirt and other substances from the roof along are being dragged along with it, and it would stain the ceiling.

If you have determined that the leak is possibly from the roof, and you want to fix it yourself you should start at the top and work your way down. Be sure to take all the necessary precautions, and have all required safety gear needed for a roof inspection.

If you have eliminated the roof as the source of the leak then it is going to take an inspection of the pipes in your home or building to solve the problem. Of course, not all people are prepared for home improvements and repairs, especially when it comes to major repairs.

If you have a leaky ceiling, or any kind of water damage to your home or business, contact the pros at SERVPRO. For more information visit our water damage services page. We’re faster to any size disaster.

Water Damage Causes in Martinsburg WV

4/20/2017 (Permalink)

Water Damage in West Virginia

Common Causes of Water Damage in Martinsburg West Virginia

Water damage is a problem in Martinsburg, WV, and something that every homeowner should be aware of. These cases can cause thousands of dollars of damage, and even force the residents out of the house temporarily, or even permanently.

So what are some of the most common causes of water damage in a residence? We’ve done the research, and list them out for you below, so read on to find out.

There are several reasons that water damage can occur. The most common ones that we have found in the Panhandle region in West Virginia are broken, busted, or leaking pipes. Unfortunately, many times it is not easy to even tell that a pipe is leaking or malfunctioning in any way because it is usually out of site.

But what causes these pipes to deteriorate? In some cases the pipe will simply rust over time, and in that case your prevention method is to make sure you do a yearly inspection of your pipes, and if you have any that are rusting have them replaced.

In other cases they freeze, which causes stress on the pipe. In fact, any drastic change in temperature can cause stress on the pipe, and lead to minor damage of the structure.

The most common way to prevent freezing of your pipe is to simply allow the water to trickle out of the tap, even at a drip. The movement of the water discourages freezing, keeping your pipe safe from the possibility of busting.

Another cause of water damage is accidents. Parents of children probably can imagine what we mean by this: action figures dropped in the toilet, kids overflowing the bathtub, anything like that. Prevention of this cause of water damage is simple. Just being aware of what your child brings into the bathroom with them, and keeping an eye on their baths should help you avoid water damage in these cases.

The last cause of water damage that we find to be most common in West Virginia is humidity in the basement, attic, or crawl space. These areas are dark, damp, and often times humid – especially in the Panhandle region. This humid environment allows moisture to drip through the foundation or roof. If this environment is left unchanged it can lead to damage to the walls ceilings, and floors of these spaces. It’s hard to spot this type of water damage because it happens over such a long period of time, but if you walk into the place one day and smell something like mold, you know you've got a problem on your hands. Simply using a dehumidifier once in a while in these areas should prevent any significant water damage to them.

There are many other causes of water damage, but these are just some of the most common. As always, if you have a case of water damage in the Northern Virginia area you can contact us at SERVPRO of Panhandle for the fastest service in town!