Recent Water Damage Posts

Flooded basement in Levittown/Bethpage

7/5/2023 (Permalink)

Customers expansion tank on the boiler blew.
This left her basement floor and walls to take on water damage.
Being that the basement had no dehumidifier prior to the event this caused mold growth, and condensation all around the basement walls and ceiling.
SERVPRO came in and removed all wet contents. We set up air scrubbers and a dehumidifier to dry out the remaining moisture. This elderly customer who never goes into her basement has terrible health and she was so concerned over the mold. We worked quick and made sure to take care of all her concerns. 

Critical Planning When Levittown Homes Require Water Damage

12/20/2022 (Permalink)

Stop? Let SERVPRO deal with your water damaged Levittown property. "Like it never even happened."

SERVPRO Segments Levittown Water Restoration into Stages

Most areas of a home are vulnerable to adverse conditions. For instance, moisture build-up causes swelling, corrosion, odors, and staining. Therefore any water leak affecting your Levittown home requires immediate attention to halt or reverse moisture effects. Without a proper plan, any water damage incident can prove unmanageable. 

Every case in Levittown involving water damage is unique because the leak sources and amounts of water involved vary. Knowing the actions to take is not automatic or a matter of luck; rather, it is having the right knowledge. When restoration is handled by a professional like SERVPRO, benefits accrue from the superior expertise such teams have. For instance, knowing the issues to expect and the useful remedial processes helps resolve the problems faster.

Professional restoration emphasizes:

  • Inspection
  • Emergency services
  • Monitoring activities

For maximum efficiency, the process is divided into stages so that you can do each action thoroughly. For instance, inspection is essential on arrival at the property to establish the leak sources, the amount of water involved, and the spread patterns. Assessment requires precision measuring tools such as moisture meters and thermo-hygrometers to evaluate the level of water involved. Having enough information creates the perfect opportunity for moving to the next stage of the restoration, whereby you can limit deterioration.

Emergency Services Necessary After Water Leaks

Any action plan to counter water intrusion must protect the structure and contents from further damage. Structure means walls and ceilings, while contents are individual items like furniture and appliances.

Emergency services help protect your valuables and create a safe environment for restoration tasks. Our SERVPRO technicians set up warning signs around the affected areas and cover vulnerable items with plastic sheets to limit further moisture exposure, especially when the leak originates at an elevated point in the house.

Another crucial aspect of emergency service is removing unsalvageable materials from the structure. Such items may include delaminated carpets and soggy pads or drywall. Our SERVPRO technicians can also remove some floorboards if you have a hardwood floor creating the necessary room for the remaining boards to swell without developing permanent damage. Removing the different materials requires various tools, including pry bars, saws, and hammers. Once the materials are out, convenient water extraction and drying can facilitate restoration to preloss conditions.

Water extraction is rarely the last step when restoring water damage. A significant portion of the water involved soaks into many porous and semi-porous materials in the house requiring elaborate drying procedures such as setting up air movers and dehumidifiers to facilitate evaporation and humidity control. Close monitoring is necessary during drying for the best outcomes.

Monitoring involves:

  • Calculating the equipment positioning
  • Changing the drying equipment
  • Establishing a drying goal

Air movers produce columns of moving air to facilitate evaporation. For maximum effectiveness, the positioning of such equipment also matters because the angle at which the air hits the surfaces determines whether moisture is moved away or forced back into the material. Our SERVPRO technicians ensure the air is vented at a 45° angle against a wall or floor surface. We also keep checking the drying process and move or remove some equipment as drying requirements change. 

SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage meticulously plans when dealing with water damage. You can reach us at (516) 261-9600 when you need assistance. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Why Water Restoration Is Necessary in Levittown Homes

11/15/2022 (Permalink)

Contact SERVPRO to effectively tackle the water damage in your property. Call now!

Situations Requiring Water Restoration in Levittown

When you contend with disasters involving water, several possible causes can expose your home to the risks associated with migrating moisture and standing water. How your residence becomes damaged changes the way, that experience SERVPRO professionals must respond to help. 

Plumbing Leaks and Separations

The most common reason for needing water restoration in Levittown homes and businesses is an issue with the plumbing. Direct water exposure can impact wall systems and floors through separations and leaks. We have to work to both remove pooling water with extractors and utilize drying tools to prevent moisture migration beyond most directly affected construction elements. With our general contractor license, we can also complete needed repairs to fix the damage to this plumbing system to avoid further harm to the house.

Damaged or Broken Appliances 

Water-fed appliances are a common installation in modern homes, making it possible to experience these types of damage within your residence after fixtures age or a malfunction occurs with the equipment. A situation as simple as a missing or broken gasket can lead to hundreds of gallons of water spreading from this appliance through the kitchen or laundry area. Wet vacuums must be used to clear the surface water concerns in this case. 

Intruding Floodwater 

Flooding can also be one of the contributing factors to the need for managing water damage in your home. Intruding water of this type is overwhelming and powerful, surging through rooms and connected areas to be an encompassing concern for an entire floor layout of your home. We must work to address the pressing issues of flooding with our mitigation solutions like:

  • Water removal
  • Content management
  • Controlled demolition
  • Disinfection cleaning

When you need water restoration for your Levittown home or business, you can count on the fast response and experience of our SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage team. Call us today at (516) 261-9600.

Experts Best Handle Water Damage in Bethpage

8/19/2022 (Permalink)

Water damage restoration services by SERVPRO are second to none. Call now for fast and immediate service.

SERVPRO Can Counter Water Damage in Your Bethpage Home

Damages occur by the millions every year as water destroys structures and household items, and the homeowners do not take immediate action to curb the menace. Timely restoration minimizes the damages and halts the spread of mold and other microorganisms all over your house.

SERVPRO has set up a team to help homeowners handle water damage in Bethpage, giving them peace of mind when such a disaster strikes. Our technicians are well trained and appropriately certified, so we offer satisfactory services. We can use portable extractors to clean affected carpeting and upholstery and remove water from the flooring.

Our main guiding principles are the standards set out by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) S500 Standard. These standards guide the drying process that SERVPRO uses to restore homes and belongings to their normal humidity levels. For an efficient drying process, they stipulate that we control:

  • The flow of air – Evaporation of water from a structure or material causes the formation of a boundary layer of cool, saturated air. Our SERVPRO team can use air movers to initiate airflow that causes a disturbance of the layer, replacing it with drier and warmer air that raises the evaporation rate.
  • Humidity – Reducing humidity lowers the vapor pressure, enabling the water to evaporate faster.
  • Temperature – A rise in the temperature of the water and the material increases the energy of the water molecules, which helps us achieve faster evaporation.

Alongside drying, we also ensure your house is safe for everyone by doing away with any microorganisms and mold that might have started to develop colonies in your residence. Disinfectants and germicides destroy 99% of organisms on a surface. But are not very efficient at eliminating fungal or bacterial spores, which is why SERVPRO uses special products. These effectively eliminate all microorganisms, including fungi and bacteria spores, on surfaces that can withstand them. They are mostly chlorine products.

To prevent the situation in your house from worsening, contact SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage, at (516) 261-9600 for a fast and efficient restoration process. We can make the water intrusion incident seem “Like it never even happened.”

Is Water Damage Repair Needed in Your Levittown Home?

6/20/2022 (Permalink)

Water damage may cause more problems than you know. SERVPRO techs of Levittown have all the knowledge and experience needed for your home.

Assessing Build-Back and Water Damage Repair Needs

While there are many phases of water damage restoration and recovery, emergency services play a vital role in helping structures after a disaster. Mitigation can include controlled demolition and repairs as well as:

  • Content relocation
  • Water removal
  • Structure drying
  • Surface cleaning

Inspections and Damage Assessments

To understand needed water damage repairs for Levittown homes and businesses, our production manager must assess the damage to the property. This skilled expert of our roster catalogs loss, weakened building materials, and any surfaces needing drying or repairs.

What is the Material's Condition?

Inspections are important to determine the extent of water damage to impacted building materials, contents, and personal belongings. Susceptible construction elements heavily damaged by absorbing water must be assessed for integrity and irreparable harm. This inspection can determine when controlled demolition is needed.

Is It Cheaper to Replace a Wet Material?

Our objective is to save our customers money and time for restoration work to occur. In some cases, this means evaluating the most efficient approaches, even if they are temporarily more invasive. Some wet materials are easier to remove and replace than dry and treat. We inspect impacted materials on a case-by-case basis.

Has a Sign of Mold Growth Emerged?

Moisture damage can continue to impact organic matter throughout a home during restoration. Prolonged exposure to surfaces like drywall or wood often results in mold colonies from naturally occurring spores in the environment. Mold development on sensitive materials can be enough to require some elements to be demolished and discarded. 

With answers to these questions following the thorough inspection of the property, we can determine where water damage repairs are needed and to what extent. Our SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage team, is full service, making it "Like it never even happened" through extraction, drying, and repairs. Call today at (516) 261-9600. 

Manipulating Drying Principles for Water Restoration in Levittown Homes

5/7/2022 (Permalink)

Water damage restoration is no DIY project. Call SERVPRO for fast and experienced help.

Balancing Principles Efficiently Dries Levittown Property Water Damage

Experienced restoration professionals of our SERVPRO team must balance several factors to produce the most efficient and productive drying efforts for your property. By allowing any of these three principles to skew, any of the subsequent restoration processes could be adversely impacted, such as:

  • Drying
  • Cleaning
  • Construction
  • Mold Prevention

Humidity

To provide the most efficient water restoration for Levittown homes possible, specific drying principles must be manipulated simultaneously to achieve a productive balance of these factors. Humidity can be one of the largest obstacles to efficient and effective drying of the structure and contents. The air can only be saturated to a specific point before the drying process is halted. This stoppage is prevented by a sufficient number of dehumidifiers that absorb water molecules in the air and discharge them outside.

Temperature

Temperature impacts the drying process in two important ways. The first of these is increasing chemical and natural methods of drying. Faster molecule movement leads to more expedient evaporation. Warmer temperatures can also increase the moisture capacity of the environment, allowing relative humidity to grow to accommodate productive ground drying efforts by strategically placed air movers.

Air Flow

The final drying principle critical to efficient and effective structure drying and content recovery is airflow management. When several rooms of a property are impacted by spreading moisture damage, it is often necessary to place multiple air movers within the affected spaces to regulate surface water damage on wall systems and flooring. The more air movers are used to evaporate moisture in materials directly, the more this increases the humidity of the work area.

There are multiple drying principles critical to the restoration and recovery of water-damaged homes and businesses throughout the area. Carefully seeking a productive balance among these areas helps to ensure that restoration completes as quickly and completely as possible. Our experienced WRT-Certified technicians of our SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage team are ready to help when you call (516) 261-9600. 

Water Cleanup in Bethpage Needs to be Handled by Experts

3/17/2022 (Permalink)

Water damage restoration is no easy task. Call SERVPRO for fast and immediate service for your home, 24/7 365 days a year.

SERVPRO is Capable of Carrying Out Water Cleanup in Bethpage Homes

I have water damage in my home. What can I do to avoid additional damage to the affected building materials and personal possessions?

To prevent extensive water damage in your residence and disruption of your daily lifestyle, you need to act swiftly. SERVPRO is available 24/7 to provide water cleanup in Bethpage properties. Our trained technicians are well equipped to handle your situation. Our water restoration process can vary depending on your situation, but it usually proceeds as outlined below:

Assessment of Water Damage

Upon arrival, our SERVPRO team can conduct a full assessment to determine the extent to which the water has affected the structural framework of your building and the materials therein before embarking on the cleanup process. For instance, our team can use thermo-hygrometers to measure the relative humidity and temperature or air masses. Some thermo-hygrometers also provide us with details about the vapor pressure, humidity ratio, and dew point.

Water Extraction

To prevent damage to the unaffected parts of the building, we can use extractors to remove the water from your home’s floor. We spend enough time extracting water to reduce drying time considerably.

Removal of Damaged Materials

Our SERVPRO team can remove all the affected building materials and contents and separate them into salvageable and unsalvageable categories.

Drying and Dehumidification

We can then position air movers to deliver fast airflow to damp surfaces. Our team can also place dehumidifiers to put out hot, dry air in the affected area. The hot air can dry hard-to-dry areas like pillars, walls, and other saturated surfaces.

Cleaning, Deodorizing, and Sanitizing

Our SERVPRO team can clean off all dirt deposited on the building and its structures and apply deodorizers to remove the bad smells associated with water damage. We can then apply antimicrobials to kill any microorganisms present.

SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage is well equipped to perform water cleanup in your residence. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster. Contact us at (516)261-9600.

Necessary Water Damage Mitigation Steps for the Attic in Levittown Homes

2/2/2022 (Permalink)

Water leaks in attics can go unnoticed for long periods of time. Be sure and inspect your attic often for signs of moisture.

SERVPRO Delivers Various Services for Successful Water Mitigation in Levittown Homes

Water leaks in enclosed areas such as the attic present unique challenges. Minor leaks might go unnoticed for some time. At the same time, removal after significant intrusion poses logistical challenges such as limited access to the area to perform water damage mitigation activities like extraction, drying, or removing materials.

Before starting water damage mitigation at your Levittown home, evaluation is necessary to identify the origin of the water intrusion and how destructive it is to the materials. Assistance from SERVPRO water restoration technicians eases such evaluation since we can do it non-intrusively. 

Typical Sources of Water in Attics Include:

  • Condensation pans clogging in HVAC systems
  • Ruptured water heaters 
  • Damaged plumbing lines
  • Roof damage by trees or fallen branches

Fixing the source is an essential step in the mitigation process. Even when it is impossible to repair the damage immediately, temporarily patching the source area allows other mitigation processes to continue effectively. Tarping the roof and shutting off other utilities ensures water does not continue leaking.

Sometimes Mitigation is Limited by Extraneous Issues Like:

  • Difficulty in setting up restoration equipment in the affected area
  • Numerous electrical hazards in the attic
  • Structural materials like sheetrock that prevent access  

Personal injury is the worst of the problems that can develop when mitigating water damage in the attic. Electricity poses the most significant risk of personal injury. Since most hidden parts of the electrical system in a house run through the attic, the best way to prevent injury is to turn off circuits, which is essential when working in the area, whether demolishing materials or extracting water. 

Limited access is an inconvenience, but it should not stop mitigation processes. Removing structural materials such as sheetrock helps create the necessary access. Our SERVPRO technicians also inspect other materials in the area to determine the unsalvageable ones and thus remove them when making access. 

SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage makes all the necessary preparations to ensure water damage mitigation eliminates problems in any section of the house, "Like it never even happened." Call us at (516) 261-9600.

How Does Permeability Affect Water Mitigation in Levittown Homes?

1/4/2022 (Permalink)

Drying mats help mitigate water damage in Levittown homes. SERVPRO offers a wide variety of water extraction and drying equipment

Water removal can be more challenging with porous materials in Levittown properties.

From burst pipes to appliance wear, there are dozens of causes of water damage that keep our SERVPRO team ready 24/7 to help. When mitigation is needed, from content cleaning to water removal, we are Here to Help.

The Three Types of Porosity

Water damage for Levittown homes can vary based on the types of materials affected by spreading water. Often, this is a matter of determining the absorbent qualities of the material or its porosity. This is broken into three primary categories:

  • Porous –Carpeted floors and drywall rapidly absorb water damage, making them porous materials.
  • Semi-Porous –Many hardwoods fall under this heading as they have an initial resistance to water penetration with a finish but can succumb to water infiltration with prolonged exposures.
  • Non-Porous –Ceramic tile and concrete (certain types) are good examples of non-porous materials, as water rarely penetrates these elements. 

Threats of Hygroscopic Materials

Carpets and similar materials and building elements are high-porosity installations, meaning that with water exposure, they can become oversaturated fast. This allows moisture migration beyond the initial upper layer of fibers to padding and the subflooring beneath it. It is critical to act rapidly to remove trapped water when possible before the water migrates into the subflooring and causes permanent damage.

Advanced Water Removal Tools

Clearing water damage is rarely as simple as eliminating pooling moisture on the surface. With high-porosity materials, solutions must exist to pull trapped water to the surface level for extraction. Drying mats on wood surfaces work through processes like capillary suction, while weighted extractors press layers of carpeted floors together to displace moisture to the upper layer for vacuum removal.

Water damage can be widespread and compromising. As experienced restoration professionals with leading tools, we can quickly manage mitigation needs and often prevent irreparable harm to exposed structural elements. Give our SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage team a call today at (516) 261-9600.