How Does Water Damage Start? | SERVPRO of Cullman/Blount Counties

12/4/2023 (Permalink)

Don't let water damage linger in your home or business. Call SERVPRO of Cullman/Blount Counties today!

Water damage is always frustrating, but especially if the leak has been happening for some time and has traveled to multiple different areas of your home. As it leaks, it can compromise walls, floors and ceilings and the lingering moisture can start to impact your indoor air quality. 

Taking preventive steps toward reducing your risk of water damage can help your home stay cozy and dry year-round. 

Common Water Damage Reasons

Water is all around you all the time! It is constantly flowing through pipes behind your walls, out of faucets to wash your hands or is slowly freezing into those ice cubes that will eventually be chilling your evening drink. Because of that, the threat of water damage is always constant in your home. 

A busted dishwasher, loose water line connection or deteriorating seal can pose serious water troubles. Even appliances that rely on water to function can experience issues if water gets into electrical components and causes damage. 

Water damage isn’t just limited to home accidents either. Mother Nature can be brutal at times and introduce heavy rain and other precipitation that can sneak into our homes. A simple clogged gutter or tiny roof crack can invite water into your attic that leaks down your walls. 

Can I Stop Water Damage From Occurring?

While you can’t completely prevent water damage from occurring, you can take steps within your own home to reduce your risk significantly. Create a routine maintenance plan that includes checking your pipes, seals and water lines from time to time. 

Catching a seal that is about to pop or a connection that has loosened more than it should have can help you avoid water disasters, and the routine maintenance can help protect the longevity of the equipment in your home. 

Check for water spots or moisture behind and beneath your appliances from time to time and run your hands along your window panes after storms to catch any new or emerging leaks. 

If you start to smell a musty or earthy odor, follow your nose and don’t stop looking until you find the mold infestation. Chances are that there is also a water leak somewhere that needs to be addressed. 

An ounce of prevention is worth it when it comes to avoiding serious water damage situations, but we are here for you if you ever do suffer a water disaster. Our team will dry up your space, tackle repairs and ensure your property is restored to your satisfaction as fast as possible. 

You deserve a faster restoration after suffering water damage. Call SERVPRO of Cullman/Blount Counties today.

Uninvited Guest

7/22/2022 (Permalink)

Imagine going on a trip of a lifetime for a week only to come home to find your furniture
floating in water. When you left, everything was in its proper place and all areas were clean.
Three days into your trip, an unwanted guest shows up…a broken toilet supply line. The next
two days he feels the freedom to eat your snacks, drink your tea, sit on all the furniture, and
sleep on your beds. This is no way to end a vacation. SERVPRO has water mitigation experts
standing by 24/7/365, ready to evict this type of guest. We have the appropriate equipment to
extract all of that water and dry all your things so you can restore your home to the peaceful
place it was before you left. Our team is certified in water mitigation. The standards we use
are adopted industry-wide by all the major insurance companies. We know what's expected
and what is needed to get the job done. So, when an uninvited guest shows up at your
house, call SERVPRO of Cullman, the eviction team that's “Faster To Any Sized Disaster”.

The Science of Mitigaton

6/29/2022 (Permalink)

When mitigating a water damage in a home or business, the average person doesn't really
think about the science involved when determining the most effective way to dry materials.
The fact is, it's all science. SERVPRO of Cullman has the tools to not only determine what
materials sustained water damage, we also have a program that tracks down the exact
number of air movers and dehumidifiers needed in order to dry your structure in a timely
manner. Time is of the essence to prevent secondary damage, so a proper plan is a MUST.
When you contact SERVPRO of Cullman, you can rest assured that every step we take will be
validated according to established industry standards, as well as approved by your insurance
adjuster. The science is just THAT important to us because your property is important to you
and we want to take the best care of it that we can. Backed by IICRC industry standards, we
have the science needed to get your structure back to normal and you back to the more
important things in life.

It's Busted Pipes Season in Cullman and Blount Counties

2/1/2022 (Permalink)

Pipe Burst

For our area, February is where many residents experience frozen pipes. While freezing temperatures are not year round (thank goodness), it's important to know what to expect when they do occur. If temperatures drop and you happen to encounter a leak in your house, it could be due to a variety of factors:

• An improperly connected appliance.
• Clogged Drain
• Broken sink, bathtub, toilet, washing machine, or dishwasher.
• A clog in a drain.
• Or a broken pipe

A broken pipe can cause a big amount of damage to your home or business. In particular, the most amount of damage occurs when you don't know where the break is or if you don't have direct access to the water break. 

Broken pipes occur for a variety of reasons: freezing, corrosion, water pressure.

Freezing

With colder weather, extreme temperatures can cause pipes to expand and break. Once the ice melts, the water can flood your home. It's important to note that pipes can freeze when they are exposed to temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. In particular, the pipes that are most prone to freezing are found in unfinished basements and in attics during the colder months.

Corrosion

Older pipes break down with age, and require a trained professional in order to replace pipes. If ignored, it can cause an enormous amount of flooding. It's best to have a professional like SERVPRO of Cullman/Blount Counties to come inspect your pipes if they are older and may need replacing.

Water Pressure

High pressure can cause the pipes in your home to break. Water is transported from a water company supply line to the house, needing to pass through a pressure regulator. If the regulator is faulty, it can cause the water pressure to rise exponentially. If the pressure gets high enough it can lead to a pipe breaking in your home.

Why Us?

SERVPRO of Cullman/Blount Counties is an expert in resolving water damage. If a pipe breaks, we are there to help you clean up the water and damage as well as properly dry out your home. Our highly trained technicians are able to help you locate the source of the water, and clean up the damage from where it started. We take extra care to ensure that there is no moisture left in your surfaces. If a broken pipe ever occurs on your property, make sure that you give us a call and we will be right there!

Refrigerators and Water Damages

2/1/2022 (Permalink)

The common cause for these water leaks is the plastic water line behind the refrigerator will crack, a slow drip begins and water pools behind the fridge unnoticed. Another common cause is excess condensation buildup which has the same effect. Water damage from your fridge can cause numerous problems in your home especially since the problem can go unnoticed for so long, at this point the damage has already taken a toll on your floors and surrounding areas. Moisture and heat in the dark environment create perfect conditions for mold to form and your floorboards to rot. Somewhere like an apartment or enclosed area these mold spores can cause issues and a problem like this should not be overlooked. Our trained technicians we are experts in mold remediation and will gladly remove and prevent further frustrations for you.

So now what?

It is important to first clean up any visible water to avoid further damage and possibilities of mold occurring. Once this is done you should inspect your fridge and see if there are any noticeable leaks or areas where condensation may be forming to excess. It is important to replace any faulty connections to stop the immediate leak if possible. If you are able to, assess the damage done to the area under and around the fridge. Most of the time floorboards will show visible damage, but the real problems can occur underneath where you cannot see. We recommend you give us a call at SERVPRO of Cullman/Blount Counties where we are available 24/7 to assist. We will send a team out to stop any further damage and help prevent this issue from occurring again. While you may be able to swap out the damaged areas of flooring, mold can continue to grow and cause more problems in the future. With many years of experience we will make the cleanup a quick and easy experience.

Pro tip: add a water alarm behind/under your fridge to catch any further problems!

Building Materials and Water Don't Mix

12/28/2021 (Permalink)

When water fills your home in the Cullman or Blount county area, it can be hard to know what's going to happen next. You may have a lot of questions, such as the following:

• How long will the restoration take?
• What furnishings will have to be replaced?
• Will your home ever be the same again?
• Can you salvage your flooring even if there's swelling wood?
  
  

When you work with a residential restoration team, you can get easy answers to your toughest questions. These experts will even help you figure out what will happen to your building materials.

Fixtures

Swelling wood is rarely a good sign. If your cabinets were damaged in a flood, you will have to replace them if there is swollen wood. Other fixtures, such as toilets, sinks and faucets, will likely be okay to reuse after a water damage. Most of the fixtures will have to be inspected to determine whether they should be thrown away or kept.

Flooring

Not all flooring can survive a water damage event. Some real wood floors can be dried and saved even after they are damaged by water. Carpets, subfloor and carpet padding, however, may need to be replaced if the damage is too bad.

Walls

Even the walls and ceilings in your home may be affected by water. During a water pipe repair, drywall may have to be stripped away to get at the leaking plumbing. If your drywall is damaged during a pipe burst, there is a chance it can be dried out and salvaged. However, the insulation behind it will have to be replaced if it got wet. If you do have to replace drywall, you typically only have to replace the portions that got wet during the high waters.

Not all water damage cases are the same. If you notice warping or swelling wood, you may have to replace a building material even if it can normally be saved.

Standing Water? We Can Help.

8/4/2021 (Permalink)

Water damage is an emergency and saving time is very important. Contact our restoration specialists to identify all areas that have water and moisture issues. Our team can help you avoid severe secondary damage in your Cullman or Blount county home.

What are the necessary precautions to take after water damage?

As you wait for SERVPRO to perform the needed mitigation services, you should take some necessary precautions. Begin by stopping the leak by turning off the main shut off valve. Another safety concern is the electronic equipment. If water has risen to the electrical outlets, switch off the power source. After turning off the power source, unplug all electrical equipment. Unplugging the equipment quickly increases the chances of saving it. You should also wear protective clothing and rubber gloves if you choose to remove waterlogged items from your home.

How do certified technicians handle water loss incidents?

Our technicians usually remove the ruined materials that can either be discarded or restored. These materials may include carpeting, baseboards, furniture, insulation, carpet padding, drywall, fragile woods and upholstery. After removing the ruined materials, our crew can start removing the water using wet/dry vacuums or portable pumps. We can then use specialized equipment such as axial air movers and Low Grain Refrigerant (LGR) dehumidifiers to dry the affected areas. We also handle mold damage during the restoration process. We disinfect mold-infested surfaces and restore them as fast as possible to keep the mold from spreading.

How long does a typical home take to dry?

Several factors determine the amount of time it takes a house to dry. They include:

• Humidity
• Temperature
• How fast emergency services start
• Type of affected materials
• Amount of saturation

Our SERVPRO team manipulates the relative humidity and temperature to dry a home faster. We monitor and evaluate the drying process consistently to determine when drying is complete. We use equipment like moisture meters, moisture sensors and infrared cameras to monitor the drying process. It is time-consuming to inspect for moisture. Infrared cameras enable us to check large areas of a house more quickly. Even though there are no rules to determine how long a home can take to dry, a typical water loss takes 3 to 5 days to dry.

Should I turn off the drying equipment at night?

No, the drying equipment should remain running on a 24-hour basis. The more hours the equipment remains on, the faster buildings dry. We place the equipment strategically to encourage optimal drying.