Restoring Your Property In Cockeysville After A Flood

5/23/2017 (Permalink)

Storms can force an incredible amount of water through a home in a very short amount of time.

Flood Damage Repair

Storms can force an incredible amount of water through a home in a very short amount of time. The flood waters left behind can be clean or contain dirt and other soils which complicate the cleaning and restoration process. Regardless of what is in the water, it is the amount of time that it covers floors and personal property that causes the most damage.

Restoring a Cockeysville home from the effects of flood damage requires training and patience. When it comes to saving moisture soaked hardwood floors, SERVPRO has developed a set of procedures which take into consideration the time under water, moisture levels, and how to prevent cupping, warping or buckling.

All three effects on hardwood floors begin quickly after exposure to excess water. Our task is to keep it from becoming permanent. We eliminate cupping and warping by sanding down the bulging or twisted areas. Technicians disguise this action by making it part of the refinishing process to keep the wood surface with a smooth look. Sanding is very efficient unless the damage is very severe; if it is, then we remove the damaged board and sand a replacement to match the shape and appearance of the original wood. Buckling damage is more evident, but it can be sanded down in some cases. More often, our technicians remove the buckled wood and then sand a replacement to match.

Before we start any work on the floorboards, we test and lower the moisture content. If the moisture levels are very high, it may take four weeks or longer before we can begin work without causing secondary damage to the wood. The level must test out to twelve percent or lower to avoid this.

We start by reducing the relative humidity of the room to under forty-five percent. Technicians set up air movers to force airflow over and under the floorboards. Lowering prevents most of the damage and reduces the chance of mold growth after we get the humidity under twenty percent. Once the levels test under sixteen percent, we use specialized heaters to raise the temperature of the room to speed up evaporation.

Some varnishes and other floor finishes act as a vapor barrier. They slow and even prevent evaporation from happening. If our technicians determine this is the case, they use a pin roller to carefully pierce the finish in corners and out of the way areas. That increases the effectiveness of the air movers and speeds up evaporation.

Repairing and restoring your home after a flood can be a lengthy and expensive process. It is best accomplished by a professional company to avoid subsequent damage and keep costs to a minimum wherever possible. SERVPRO of Hunt Valley / Lutherville helps you through every step. Call us today at (410) 229-0012.

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