Posts Tagged ‘Water Damage Super Restoration’

What is Water Damage Mitigation

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010
Anyone who has ever suffered significant water damage to their home knows how frustrating of a situation it can be. Not only is water damage unhealthy to live in/around, it can significantly decrease the resale value of your home. Fortunately, it is possible to remedy the negative effects of water damage through a process known as water damage mitigation.

Put simply, water damage mitigation is the process of repairing whatever damage has been caused by excessive moisture. The process and extent of the job can vary dramatically by circumstance. For instance, a small patch of mold caused by excessive moisture is something that can be mitigated rather easily. However, a crumbling foundation that has suffered years of water damage can be a massive job. In such cases, structures can be in such bad shape that they must be demolished. While these situations are rare, they do exist.

The fact is, living in a home that has even a small amount of water damage can be unsafe, as well as unhealthy. Mold (especially black mold) that is born out of excessive moisture can be very hazardous to one’s health, and can cause respiratory issues if inhaled. While it may seem as if getting rid of a mold problem is something that one can do on their own, this is never recommended. Since professionals work with mold on a regular basis, they know the process inside and out, and are aware of all necessary safety details. Doing the job on your own can sometimes make the problem worse, and can be hazardous to your health.

Water damage mitigation does not have to be expensive, and is a process that should be done as soon as possible, as the more water damage accumulates, the harder and more intensive the mitigation process becomes. Don’t live in a home riddled with moisture issues any longer – choose water damage mitigation today.

Call us today for a free consultation 800-516-8059 or by email at: info@superrestoration.com

In your service,

Rene Vargas
Super Restoration
1 800 516 8059

Flood Insurance vs. Homeowners Insurance

Friday, August 6th, 2010
A flooded home is something most homeowners think they will never have to deal with, so they often opt for the minimum coverage on their insurance policy. Unfortunately, the cause of the flooding impacts whether or not a standard homeowners insurance policy will cover the damages and repairs. Many homeowners do not find out they have the incorrect coverage until they have standing water in their home.

Flood Insurance vs. Homeowners Insurance

Homeowners insurance covers the cost of a water, mold and fire restoration company to repair damages caused by flooding that is the result of broken pipes and sewage system backups. Some natural disasters may be covered under a basic homeowners insurance policy. For example, if a storm knocks a tree onto the roof of the home and flooding from the rain results, the homeowners insurance policy will cover the water damages in the home. As a general rule, for the homeowners insurance policy to cover flooding damage the water must come from inside the home or from rain.

Flood insurance picks up where homeowners insurance leaves off, providing coverage for flooding caused from the ground. Flooding caused by flash floods or overflowing streams, creeks and rivers is not covered by a standard homeowners insurance policy. Flood insurance must be purchased in addition to the standard homeowners insurance policy, and it does not become effective immediately. A thirty day waiver period applies, meaning that if a flood occurs in the first thirty days of the policy the damages and repairs will not be covered. With this in mind, flood insurance should be purchased at least thirty days in advance of the rainy season for your area.

Prevention and Restoration

It is important to call a professional water and mold restoration company as soon as flooding happens in the home. Standing water can cause a serious health risk, and mold can be very dangerous to remove on your own. Your insurance will cover the costs of repairs, and will require you to use the services of a licensed professional. In widespread flooding, these professionals become very busy, so always plan ahead so you know who you will call in the event of a flooded home. The best way to protect your family’s health and your home is to make sure you have the proper insurance coverage in place before flooding happens.

Call us today for a free consultation 800-516-8059 or by email at: info@superrestoration.com

In your service,

Rene Vargas
Super Restoration
1 800 516 8059

Allergies related to mold exposure

Monday, July 26th, 2010

Chances are that you have encountered mold at one point in your life. From a leaky bathroom faucet to an old loaf of bread, mold can grow in many places. Unfortunately, allergies related to mold exposure are a serious problem for many people. It is estimated that 10% of Americans are allergic to mold.

Symptoms of a mold allergy include dizziness, nose bleeds, nausea, difficulty breathing and skin rashes. In serious cases of overexposure, mold can even cause death. If you suspect that you are allergic to mold, check with your doctor for a mold allergy skin test.

The first step in treating a mold allergy is eliminating exposure. If that is not possible, your doctor might recommend antihistamine medications or a series of allergy shots to help reduce symptoms.

Unfortunately, detecting mold in your home can be difficult. Mold can grow year-round in many types of environments. When mold grows in a visible location, it is apparent to the naked eye in the form of brown or black spots. However, it can also grow in places that you are unlikely to see, such as closets, refrigerator door gaskets, air conditioner units and carpets.

If you suspect that your home is harboring dangerous mold allergens, it’s time to call in the professionals. A water, mold and fire restoration company can assess the extent of the damage in your home and repair any damage that has been done. After a professional restoration company has completed the task, you can rest assured that your home is mold-free.

The cost of professional water, mold and fire restoration varies depending on the extent of the job. Be sure to check your homeowner’s insurance to see if the work is covered under you policy.

Once the experts have cleared your home of mold, be sure to keep up regular maintenance to ensure a mold outbreak does not occur again. Keep an eye out for leaks, and inspect windows and doors regularly to ensure that unwanted moisture cannot enter your home.

Call us today for a free consultation 800-516-8059 or by email at: info@superrestoration.com

In your service,

Rene Vargas
Super Restoration
1 800 516 8059

Home Sick: Toxic Mold From Water Damage

Friday, July 23rd, 2010
Mold is a type of fungus that can only grow in moist conditions, and it is sure to form if the moisture content in a house is not controlled. The most common household molds are Cladosporium, Penicillium, Alternaria, and Aspergillus. Most of these molds are either black or white in appearance. Mold is destructive to the home because it destroys the materials that it grows on, due to the physiology of the fungus. Unlike plants, fungi can not make their own food, so they produce enzymes that break down whatever food source they happen to be attached to. Wood, drywall, carpet, and other materials make an excellent source of food for mold. This is why mold from flood damage and water damage is the worst enemy.

In addition, certain molds in the living environment can make a person very ill because they release allergens called mytotoxins. These function by killing healthy cells in the infected organism. People with asthma must especially be on guard as these can trigger severe attacks. A normally healthy person can become very ill from exposure to mold toxins as well. Prolonged exposure induces severe headaches, swelling, irritated skin, and respiratory illness. It would be especially disastrous to have mold growing where a young child or elderly person spends a lot of time, because the effects are harder on their bodies. The mold of most concern is called Stachybotrys chartarum, a dreaded green-black colored mold. This species has been blamed for causing acute idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage in infants, a condition in which the blood vessels in the fast growing lungs rupture.

Most insurance companies do not cover mold damage, but do cover water damage from leaks. these reasons make it very important to make sure that all leaks in the home are repaired promptly, and that any existing mold is killed and cleaned as soon as possible.

Call us today for a free consultation 800-516-8059 or by email at: info@superrestoration.com

In your service,

Rene Vargas
Super Restoration
1 800 516 8059

Water Damaged Homes In Summer – What You Need To Know

Monday, July 19th, 2010

For many summer is a blessing. However for those dealing with a water damaged home summer can be a nightmare. On top of the obvious repairs for water damaged homes one hidden danger is especially present – mold. But first before we get into why summer is such a bad season for mold growth, let us discuss what mold is and what causes mold.

Mold is essentially a small fungi that can be found in most homes and places of residence. These small fungi reproduce through spores and of the thousands of species of mold only a few are toxic towards humans. This is not to say that the non-toxic mold cannot have negative health effects, certain molds has been shown through studies to cause allergies, adverse reactions and respiratory diseases even though deemed “non-toxic.” Although found in most homes, it is when water damage occurs that a mold infestation can become out of control and a contractor must be brought in.

There are three conditions that mold requires to grow: nutrients, moisture and time. Since cellulose (a common mold nutrient) is present in most homes and mold spores have nothing but time, the only ingredient needed for mold to grow water. This can come in the form of excessive moisture in the air or from water damage, a particular hazard for mold growth. This can be especially hazardous in the summer time, as the damage from water can be multiplied exponentially by the season.

The reason behind this is due to the humidity that summer brings. Xerophilic molds use the surrounding humidity as their only source of water, so when the summer heat brings in the humidity mold has all the ingredients it needs to reproduce. To top that off, water damage soaks the surrounding environment with even more moisture so that other types of mold can grow. So on top of the physical damage from water the infestation of mold is in a sense the icing on the cake.

Once infested, mold must be cleaned with a detergent that physically removes the spores from the environment. Many products render mold inactive, however toxic molds can still cause illness or even death if left untreated. There are specialists who clean mold, but care should be made so that the cost of removal doesn’t exceed the cost of the home. Certain homes may be cheaper to condemn and rebuild than to remove mold.

Call us today for a free consultation 800-516-8059 or by email at: info@superrestoration.com

In your service,

Rene Vargas
Super Restoration
1 800 516 8059

Is Your Condo Protected?

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010
So, you finally made a leap of faith and purchased your dream condo, but how do you know that it is properly protected? More often than not, your condo’s maintenance will be under the supervision of your respective condo association, who may not be hiring the proper restoration companies to take care of water, mold, and fire damage. So how can you convince them to do so? This guide will help you learn how to make sure that your condo association is using the best restoration company available to properly take care of water, mold, and fire damage if and when it occurs.

The first thing you will want to do when making sure that your condo association chooses a company that can properly manage such damage issues is to communicate to them the huge disadvantages of not contracting a company that can handle such repairs. Make it clear to them that hiring an unqualified company can lead to more damage and unforseen lost time. Let them know that hiring a qualified company will mean less headaches and less work for them in the long and short-term. More often than not, condo associations will hire a company based on their price quotes and not on the actual quality of work. Though this may seem smart to them, this is a huge mistake for those that own condos under the supervision of the association, since it can mean that the job will not be done right the first time. Such scenarios can lead to lost time for the condo owners, as well as an embarrassment when friends or family decide to visit them and see subpar work done, or worse, no work done at all on the damaged areas of their residence.

The second thing you’ll want to communicate to your condo association is that a cheap price quote from their current unqualified vendor may not translate into any price savings whatsoever. Let them know that a cheap price quote often means cheap work done, which usually only leads to more repairs down the road, which cause even more expenses, since the job wasn’t not done right the first time.

Call us today for a free consultation 800-516-8059 or by email at: info@superrestoration.com

In your service,

Rene Vargas
Super Restoration
1 800 516 8059

How Infrared Thermal Imaging Helps People Hurt by Water Damage

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Infrared thermal imaging is is a technology which involves cameras that see infrared light rather than the light that is visible to the human eye. Infrared light is the type of light that transmits heat from one place to another. When you feel the warmth of the sunlight on your skin, this is the resultfire of infrared light. Because infrared light is emitted by anything that contains heat, including objects at room temperature, infrared light can be used by thermal imaging technology to see in the dark. It can also be used to see the difference in temperature between different objects.

Because water retains its temperature more resiliently than most materials within the home, it is usually either warmer or cooler than the surrounding materials, depending on where the water is coming from. Buildings that are saturated with water can be easily located in this way. Within the building or home that is suffering from water damage, infrared thermal imaging can be used to easily locate building materials which have become wet. Wet materials stand out against the surrounding environment due to their differing temperatures. In this way, assessments of the true damage to a building or home can be made easily and quickly. Water damage that is hidden from plain view, in the ceiling or behind the drywall, can be seen with infrared cameras.

Mitigating water damage has become much easier as a result, allowing trained professionals to quickly asses which areas of the building need to be inspected further with other equipment such as moisture meters. However, infrared cameras are only useful for people skilled with using them. They do not tell the person who is using them whether or not something is wet directly, the only tell them if something is hotter or colder than the surrounding environment. It takes a skilled professional to use this information to make an educated guess about whether or not building materials may be saturated with water.

Call us today for a free consultation 800-516-8059 or by email at: info@superrestoration.com

In your service,

Rene Vargas
Super Restoration
1 800 516 8059

Water Damage: Making a Rapid Recovery

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

Water damage can take many forms. Flooding or heavy rainfall can introduce water into your home or business structure. Plumbing accidents are another common source of water damage. Even the more gradual damage from a leaky roof can lead to serious losses if repairs and restoration are delayed.

Some water damage will be immediately obvious, for example, soaked personal possessions or wet papers and computer equipment. Warped floor coverings and ruined wallpaper are easy to spot. Other damage is less apparent, but could be extremely dangerous. Never fail to properly deal with damage to electrical systems or gas lines.

Damage to drywall and carpet occurs quickly if water is not extracted from your structure promptly. Wood will rot. Metal will rust. Things don’t dry out on their own, especially in a climate where hot and humid weather are the rule. Failure to repair water damage can lead to permanent structural problems, even to dangerous instability. Not all damage will be apparent to the naked eye; rely on professionals to assess the condition of your home or business and to advise you on all necessary repairs.

Mold and mildew, if allowed to grow unchecked, can create a toxic situation that may be impossible to resolve. Human response to mold ranges from respiratory allergy symptoms to asthma attacks and other serious conditions. The damp conditions that encourage mold growth also attract unwanted rodent and insect pests.

Contamination with sewage, seawater, or floodwaters from rivers or streams is cause for serious health concerns. Act immediately to remove any such water in your structure, making sure that all appropriate safety precautions are followed. Within 48-72 hours, even less dangerous “gray water”—for example, a spill from a washing machine or dishwasher—will be classified as the unsanitary “black water.” Hot weather will speed up this process, encouraging the growth of dangerous bacteria and fungi that can cause illness.

Water-damage restoration specialists have the skill, experience and equipment to repair all kinds of water damage. They are accustomed to working quickly—so important in order to minimize further damage to your structure and property. Professional skills lead to professional results, too. Your home or business can make a 100% recovery from water damage.
Call us today for a free consultation 800-516-8059 or by email at: info@superrestoration.com

In your service,

Rene Vargas
Super Restoration
1 800 516 8059

Reconstruct, Rebuild, Repair Your Way into the Future

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

Disaster can strike at anytime, and since only the fittest of the fittest shall survive, you should outfit your home or business with the best restoration services you can find. Super Restoration provides one-stop solutions to all sorts of property damage reconstruction and repair needs. When mold, fire damage or water intrusion has caused hazardous conditions that preclude your business from utilizing your facilities to their maximum extent, you’ll need to get things back to normal somehow, and reconstruction is going to be the first step you’ll have to take. If your family can’t occupy their home due to hazardous or unhealthy conditions, you need to act efficiently and quickly.

Getting your assets restored to their original condition is not a DIY project or casual undertaking, and when you think about it, it shouldn’t be a project that you have to oversee every step of as a home or business owner. For restorations that maintain safety regulations and set you off on the right foot again by returning your operations to full steam in no time flat, Super Restoration is there.

Super Restoration is well versed in the creation and execution of cost-effective rebuild plans that minimize the amount of time your facilities or residences are unusable. With a staff whose widespread experience in all forms of commercial and residential construction and will rebuild your properties to your exact specifications and keep you fully updated throughout, it will seem like your reconstruction is doing itself. Our damage assessments use state of the art technologies to determine the exact amount of damage that has occurred inside your walls and structure, so you can be guaranteed that our reconstructions and repairs will last a lifetime.

Disasters can produce consequences of any scope or form, and your house or business’s continuity and lifespan is definable by how well it responds to handling these consequences. There’s no reason that you shouldn’t be able to get a hand up when these unforeseen tragedies catch you off guard, so give Super Restoration a call. Take advantage of a company that will stick with you through inspection, assist you during insurance remediation and then provide you with the most stress free reconstruction you’ll ever get.

In your service,

Rene Vargas
SuperRestoration
1 800 516 8059

Prevent Unseen Damage with Infrared Thermal Imaging

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

When you have internal damage in your home or building, it can progressively worsen until you have little choice but to temporarily vacate until such time as you have completely renovated, sometimes having to go so far as to tear out structures and demolish. Your property has already gone through enough damage from the elements, so why should you have to use inaccurate restoration methods?

Most conventional restorations either fail to completely address molds and internal water damage. HVAC and ventilation problems and blockages can escape the eyes of even the most diligent workers and energy losses from cracks, settling areas and gaps in construction are virtually impossible to detect. In all of these cases, infrared thermal imaging can prevent the inevitable damage that prolonged moisture intrusion will deal the structure and occupants of a home or building. There is no better technique than that used in Super Restoration‘s thermal inspections, which are tailored to account for temperature differences from radiation, thermal bridging, infiltration/exfiltration and other sources. Ensuring that you have an accurate map of the water damage in your structure is the only way to prevent further disaster and maximize the amount you are able to recoup.

With a custom infrared thermal imaging scan, you’ll know what it’s like to have the advantage of prescience when it comes to your assets. The damage your structure has to undergo for repairs to take place will be effectively minimized by the advanced non-intrusive infrared thermal imaging technique, and you’ll not only be able to determine how far the water damage has spread but also exactly which materials and structural components have been affected by it.

Thermal imaging works extremely well because temperature differences caused by the evaporation of water cause slight chromatic differences detectable to the infrared scanner. By reviewing the immediately available image produced with the aid of a Super Restoration expert, you’ll have advance notice of electrical wiring problems, material defects and innumerable other problems.

When you suspect that moisture intrusion has caused invisible water damage, you shouldn’t hesitate to call on Super Restoration. Molds and other substances can cause serious respiratory health issues, and water damage only worsens as time and weight take their toll. Insurance assessments can short-change businesses on the amount of compensation they receive, even in cases where disasters were unpreventable. Make sure you get the assistance you’ll need to get back on your feet with an accurate infrared thermal imaging assessment from Super Restoration and you won’t regret it. In your service,

Rene Vargas
SuperRestoration
1 800 516 8059