Storms bring water damage, but SERVPRO is here to help!

3/9/2021 (Permalink)

When you enter a business after a storm, you will immediately notice the water damage. The first step in the cleanup is to tear out everything wet. Tearing out must happen quickly so that mold doesn’t become a problem. Stormwater can find its way

• Into cracks and crevasses
• Under and behind the molding
• Behind walls
• Into the subfloor
• Into the rooms below
  
  

Remove Free-Standing Water

If you don’t remove it now, it will cause more damage later. A wet/dry vac is the perfect tool for this job. Every drop that you collect will help complete the recovery that much sooner.

Remove Wet Fabrics

Fabric items include carpets and padding, window treatments, furniture and anything else that retains water. It might make sense to use your wet/dry vac to remove excess water from these items before moving them.
You may wonder if you should dispose of or restore these items. Items for disposal should go immediately in the trash. Relocate items for restoration to a place where they are out of the way of the cleanup and can’t cause any further problems.

Remove Remaining Items

Wet items should go to someplace where they won’t cause any additional problems. You can decide their disposition later. These items may include electronics, photos, important documents and non-fabric furniture.
Remove everything not damaged to a holding area. It needs to be out of the way so that cleanup can continue.

Locate the Remaining Hidden Moisture

Tear out the wet baseboards and molding. You can reuse them if they survive the drying process without warping. Do the same with the damp wallboard. The only difference is that the wallboard is not salvageable.
The tear out stage of storm restoration is labor-intensive and time-consuming. It also requires a quick completion to prevent mold growth. If your business faces a storm damage crisis, it’s good to know that there are storm damage restoration specialists nearby and ready to help. They are just a phone call away.