Posts Tagged ‘Water Extraction Super Resoration’

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Water Damage in Commercial Buildings

Friday, October 8th, 2010
Water damage in a commercial building can be particularly troublesome because it can affect more than a single occupant of the building. This is particularly true in multi-floor buildings, where water can travel from an upper story all the way to the ground floor. Multiple businesses or offices can be put out of commission until water damage is corrected, leading to loss of income and even severe hardship for the employees if they are unable to return to work for a period of time while damage is dealt with.

Causes of water damage in a multi floor commercial building can include:

*Heavy rain and flooding
*Burst water pipes
*Overflowing toilets or sinks

Water from an upper floor bathroom leak, for example, can cause damage to the ceiling of the floor below. If sufficient water leakage occurs, this damage could even extend to the next floor below the leak.

Water damage is more easily dealt with if it is managed before the damage becomes severe. Leaks that begin when the commercial building is unoccupied, such as overnight or on a weekend, could become severe before anyone notices they have occurred, leading to much worse and more extensive damage. If water reaches expensive business equipment such as copiers, fax machines or computers, damage could prove to be extremely costly. In addition, if water damages vital paperwork, records or files, the company could suffer the loss of irreplaceable data.

In some cases, water damaged items can be restored so that they are once again usable. In addition to taking necessary precautions to prevent water damage in your commercial building, be sure to back up all computer records, maintain duplicate copies of paper records and, if water damage does occur, contact a water damage restoration expert to help recover your damaged items, equipment and information.

Call us today for a free consultation 800-516-8059 or by email at: info@superrestoration.comIn your service,Rene Vargas
Super Restoration
1 800 516 8059

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Water Damage from Old Pipes and Hoses

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010
Water damage can be as devastating to a home as fire damage. Whether the water comes from flooding or from a burst pipe, a large portion of your home and possessions can be subjected to major damage or loss.

One major source of water damage is old pipes within your home or old, worn out hoses. Because there is often a large volume of water flowing through pipes and hoses, a great deal of damage can occur when these conduits burst or are damaged. Maintaining the pipes and hoses in your home, as well as turning off or monitoring water flow at certain times, can help prevent this kind of damage.

Prevent Bursting Pipes

Pipes bursting during the winter are a common cause of major water damage. This can be particularly devastating if you are away on a holiday vacation when it occurs. Old pipes, because they can be weaker and may be already partially damaged, are more susceptible to bursting. In order to prevent pipes from bursting, you should:

*Replace old or damaged pipes.
*Install insulation on your pipes. This is relatively inexpensive and easy to install.
*Turn the thermostat down to as low as 55 degrees, but do not turn it off completely.
*Have a friend or neighbor stop by to check your home.

Preventing Leakage from Hoses

Garden hoses and hoses attached to appliances can also lead to water leaks and damage. To prevent this type of damage, you should:

* Drain hoses completely after use. Do not leave the hose sitting with water in it.
*Turn off the water flow to washing machine hoses if you are going to be gone for a period of time.
*Replace any old or damaged hoses.

By following these simple guidelines, you can protect your home by greatly reducing the chances of water damage from old pipes and hoses.

Call us today for a free consultation 800-516-8059 or by email at: info@superrestoration.comIn your service,Rene Vargas
Super Restoration
1 800 516 8059

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Water Damage Effects on Linoleum Flooring

Monday, September 27th, 2010
When torrential rains or busted water pipes flood a house, homeowners are at a loss. Most people do not know how to deal effectively with a flooded home. Some things in a water-damaged home are not salvageable. However, linoleum is not one of them if handled in the proper manner. That is why many people hire a restoration company to clean up after a floor has been flooded.

Wiping the water from linoleum is simply not sufficient. Linoleum will stain if exposed to water for a long period. The linoleum needs removed quickly and thoroughly dried to salvage it. That is only the beginning step. The sub floor has to completely dry as well. The sub floor is the foundation for the linoleum, so it is vital that that it be done right.

The sub floor requires quick and thorough drying, or the homeowner will experience problems in the future. If linoleum lies on a damp sub floor, mold will grow in the moist environment between the two. It may take a little longer, but if the sub floor is anything other than concrete, it will begin to rot. The homeowner may never see the mold or rot until it is too late to do anything but replace the entire sub floor and linoleum.

One advantage to hiring a restoration company is they have the equipment needed to dry the floor as quickly as possible. A restoration company will remove and salvage the linoleum by using big fans and vacuums. Fans and vacuums brought into the home will thoroughly dry the sub floors. When the floor is completely dry, the salvaged linoleum can be re-laid. Since the floor is dry, no mold or rot will exist between the linoleum and the sub floor.

The majority of insurance companies will pay, or partially pay, for the cost of a restoration company. It will depend on each individual insurance policy and coverage. It is more cost effective, for an insurance company to pay to have everything dried thoroughly, than the replacement cost of linoleum and sub floor later.

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

Rene Vargas
Super Restoration
1 800 516 8059

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Where did this water come from?

Monday, September 13th, 2010
The most common cause of water damage is flooding due to a river or creek jumping its banks and coming into your home. Other less common causes of water damage can be just as detrimental to your home and your belongings.

Water Heater Leaks
Most homes have a water heater, and most homeowners do not think about it unless it is either not working properly or bursts. Therefore, it is often out of sight, and out of mind for most homeowners. It is common for these to leak as they age, and over time, the leaking can cause significant damage to the floor and subfloor on which the water heater sits. Therefore, it is important to check your water heater and if there is water leaking from either the top or bottom, call a maintenance man to take a look to determine if you could have a larger problem on your hands.

Pipe Bursting Or Leaking
The walls of most homes not only separate living spaces from one another, but also house wiring and plumbing that serves your family’s needs. Pipes buried in between pieces of plaster or sheetrock can burst from freezing or just from age. Older pipes are prone to have weak spots that could burst and cause water damage within the walls that can go unnoticed if it is only a small drip. If you notice wet spots at the bottom of your walls, it may be indicative of a larger problem.

Ew… Mold!
All water damage, large or small, can cause mold to incubate and grow in your home. Mold is unhealthy to all people, but especially young children and the elderly. Breathing in mold spores can cause respiratory issues and can cause you to develop a more serious problem. Therefore, it is important that if your home sustains water damage from an obvious flood or one of the more subtle ways described above, you must contact a remediation company immediately to ensure that the damage is addressed.

Hopefully, these helpful tips on water damage have been helpful and will allow you to be more aware of what may be going on in your home that is difficult to detect.

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

Rene Vargas
Super Restoration
1 800 516 8059

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How to protect and prolong the life of tile

Friday, September 3rd, 2010
Decorative tile has become a popular decorating item in many homes. While tile adds to the home’s appeal, it is not without its weakness. Water can extensively damage tile and cause mold to grow in a person’s home.

A common place to find tile in a home is in the bathroom, specifically in a shower. These tiles are most often placed over drywall, as in homes built between 1965 to 1990, or cement walling, as found in newer homes. While tiles make for a sturdy shower space, they remain susceptible to damage from water left after a person bathes.

If a shower has a drywall backing, the remaining water will travel to the drywall, causing it to expand and swell. This expansion then causes the tile to become loose and perhaps even crack. The damage from cracked and loose tiles can be so significant as to warrant a shower’s needing to be entirely replaced. Cement walls do not absorb water; however, the water, instead of being absorbed into the walls, will travel to the showers floor. The water will then seep onto any surrounding floor tiling or carpeting and cause mold. Again, the damage can be so great that the homeowner may need to replace the flooring.

Home restoration professionals commonly recommend that a homeowner using grout to seal the cracks in between tiles to prevent the water from seeping into drywall. Grout is a cement-based product that, while not waterproof, prevents for some time the seeping of water into the drywall. Even more so, a homeowner should use inspect a shower’s grout and routinely replace it to ensure that the tiles will not be damaged. The grout should then be sealed with caulking. For newer showers that have cement walls, it is recommended that a weephole be placed in the shower. A weephole allows the water to travel back into the shower without damaging outside flooring or tiling. A weephole should never be filled with grout or caulk. Without an adequate weephole, a cement-backed tile shower stands to suffer damage to the shower pan and surrounding flooring.

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

Rene Vargas
Super Restoration
1 800 516 8059

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The Cost of Peace of Mind

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
Property ownership can be both rewarding and fraught with uncertainty. Costly nuisances such as water, mold, or fire damage can come without warning. The purpose of insurance is to offset the high cost of uncertainty. The keyword here is offset, because peace of mind comes at a cost.

The insured–the party who purchases the insurance–must pay a premium and a deductible to the insurer. The insurer is the company offering the insurance. The premium must be paid regardless of whether there is property damage. The premium is the amount that the insured pays for the option to allocate the risk of property damage to the insurer. The deductible, on the other hand, is the threshold amount that the insured must pay the insurer before the insurer will reach into its coffers to cover the remainder of the expenses associated with the property damage.

For example, if the deductible is $1000 and the property damage totals $5000, then the insured must pay the $1000 before the insurer will pay the remaining $4000. The same is true if the damage is $20,000 with a $1000 deductible. The insured must pay the first $1000 before the insurance company will pay the remaining $19,000.

It is possible to have a deductible of zero; however, the price of a low deductible is generally a high premium. The reverse is also true; the price of a low premium is a high deductible.

The choice between a high deductible or a high premium generally hinges on risk. For instance, a person who lives in a floodplain or a place known for its fires may choose to pay a higher premium in exchange for a lower deductible. Where risk is difficult to predict, the choice will boil down to what you can afford.

Either way, it is difficult not to choose the security of insurance.

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

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Can Wet Carpets Be Saved?

Monday, August 16th, 2010
In the case of a flood or other emergency, many property owners wonder if their carpets can survive the damage. When a carpet gets very wet, the water or other liquid will seep into the pad that is under the carpet. If the water sits in the pad for too long or takes too long to dry, the carpet pad can mold and give off unpleasant odors.

In the case that the carpet pad has been allowed to mold, the carpet will have to be removed and the either the pad or the carpet and the pad will have to be replaced. A company that specializes in carpet restoration will be able to determine whether the carpet is salvageable or what the best restorative option will be. Unfortunately, in most cases after a flooding, the carpet pad will need to be removed, even if the carpet can be restored.

If the carpet has not been visibly damaged, it may be possible to restore the carpet. If the pad needs to replaced, the carpet will need to be removed from the area and thoroughly cleaned. The floor underneath the padding will also need to be cleaned, disinfected, and allowed to dry. If the flooding only affected a very small area, this may be able to be done alone. However, if a large area was affected, a professional will most likely be needed to complete the job.

When restoring the carpet, the most important thing is to make sure that the carpets are allowed to dry properly. If possible, the carpet should not be placed onto the dry carpet pad until it is completely dry. The carpets should be allowed to dry either outside or in a well ventilated area. If the carpets must be dried inside the property, they can be dried using a wet-dry vac. This machine will suck up the water that is soaking the carpet fibers and help speed up the drying process. Fans should then be placed inside the room and windows should be left open if the conditions permit. While wet carpets may be difficult to save, it is possible if the conditions are right and if done by a knowledgeable and experienced individual.

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

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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

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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

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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

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