Flood Damage in Queens Basement Gets Fast Turnaround

3/2/2020 (Permalink)

No matter when you make the call, we have technicians who can assist you.

SERVPRO Will Quickly Respond to Your Home's Flood Damage, Day or Night

Basements get the brunt of flood damage. It is the lowest level, and basement walls range from finished with sheetrock to porous cinder block and brick. The faster the cleanup begins lessens the potential for loss for the homeowner. 

A homeowner in Queens needed help with flood damage cleanup in her finished basement. This area of the home got used as storage mainly, and numerous boxes and items required removal. 

First Actions On Arrival

A mere inch of water leaves behind substantial damages in a property. SERVPRO technicians immediately begin extracting water and moving items out of the work area to determine if they have restoration potential from the water exposure. The techs quickly discovered the sump pump was not working and arranged with the homeowner to bring in a plumber for repairs. Fortunately, the majority of contents stored in the basement in plastic bins, which only required exterior wipe down with antibacterial and antimicrobial cleaners.

Removal of Ruined Sheetrock

Unfortunately, the sheetrock over the cinder block and brick walls wicked the floodwater and required removal from the floor upwards several inches above the waterline. This action is essential to allow water loss areas to dry completely. 

Drying and Commonly Seen After Effects

Slab substrate is a standard in basements. Because of the porous nature of concrete, some moisture becomes embedded in both the slab and cinder block or brick walls. During the drying process, the high-velocity air movers cause moisture to rise. The dehumidifiers capture it as this reaction happens and creates a cycle of progressively drier air circulating, which brings down the humidity rapidly. When concrete dries, the salts in the composition rise to the surface and leave a white powdery substance known as efflorescence, and the techs clean it away during the final sanitizing wipe down. 

Returning Items

Once the basement gets dried, the technicians verify through the use of moisture detection equipment that the walls and floor attained drying goals. Once confirmed, they can begin to move the stored items back in for the homeowner. 

SERVPRO of Long Island City at (718) 440-6994 for fast flood damage cleanup. The certified technicians arrive quickly and make the water loss to the home, "Like it never even happened."

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