When Is Cleanup Necessary after Water Leaks in My Property?

4/5/2020 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Provides Pack-Out Services to Protect and Expedite Water Removal and Restoration Projects in the Oakland Area

Your Local SERVPRO Can Help Establish when Water Cleanup in Your Oakland home is Needed.

The primary response to a water spill in an Oakland home is the extraction of any standing water followed by drying any wet areas if the incident affects porous or semi-porous materials. However, many situations also require cleanup steps as part of the restoration process. Such cleanup can help remove soils introduced by the spilled water if it is a greywater loss, or deal with soils already present, in case the incident involves clean water.

Are there other less distinct issues that might necessitate cleanup?

Sometimes, the decision of whether to perform water removal from your Oakland home might be harder to make since there are no physical soils visible in the loss area. A few examples of situations that may necessitate cleaning when there is no visible soiling include:

• When bad odor starts to develop
• When you notice running dyes in fabrics
• When you notice new spots or stains on carpets
• When you suspect microbial development

Is there a preferred schedule for cleaning a water-damaged property?

Each case of water damage unfolds differently, so the steps you have to take may not follow a strict schedule. For example, when a pipe leaks in the ceiling or other elevated area, the water spilled drips on contents before pooling on the floors if it does at all. The priority in such a case is saving the contents through steps such as covering them with plastic sheets or moving them to other areas of the property before beginning the cleaning.

Away from the source, the time elapsed since the leak, and its discovery can influence the actions taken. Some water damage situations involve slow water release, as when kinks in copper or plastic pipes lead to pinhole leaks around sinks. It might take weeks or months to notice this type if a water loss, thus creating an opportunity for mold and other microbes to develop.  For such cases, cleanup to remove the moldy residues is a priority.

Our SERVPRO technicians evaluate each case to establish the best process to follow when cleaning up, thus restoring your property to the preloss state.

What cleaning steps does SERVPRO usually apply?

The steps necessary to complete cleanup after water damage in your Oakland property depends on the problems that must be addressed. Common problems that influence the steps we take include:

• Presence of fresh stains
• Deterioration of building materials and contents
• Odor development
• Existence and nature of visible soils

Wet-vacuuming or using other techniques helps remove any pools of water from your property, thus revealing other issues such as stains, which require immediate action. Removing stains from carpets or upholstery is already set, and we address them in the best way available. For temporary soilings such as those left by resin or rust from furniture legs, shortly after the water spill, we can tackle them through scrubbing the area with soft-bristled brushes and flushing with water.  If the stains show signs of setting, we use spotting products to help break down the soils forming the stains before rinsing the area. We can also use specialized spot removal equipment.

Water intrusion can break down some materials such as drywall and insulation, especially when a significant volume is involved. Removing such materials is an essential part of the cleanup since they are unsalvageable. Removing the materials might also help in accessing water trapped in wall cavities or other hidden areas. Our technicians bring various tools to help cut and remove the deteriorated materials, creating room for standard cleanup procedures. This process our SERVPRO technicians refer to as “flood cuts.”

Odors mostly occur when microbial development or other forms of deterioration start. Applying antimicrobial agents to cleaned surfaces helps delay or stop microbial growth, preventing the development of odors. Of course, there is a need to dry all the affected areas after completing the cleaning process to preempt future microbial development.

Do professional restorers like SERVPRO help quicken the cleanup process?

The process of cleaning up and restoring a home after water damage can take longer if the response is not structured. A professional restoration team consists of highly trained water restoration technicians, which ensures proper planning of the different steps necessary for the restoration. Having several team members also allows for different tasks to be tackled simultaneously. Other factors that help quicken the process include:

• Use of high-efficiency water extractors
• Use of automated cleaning equipment such as rotating brushes
• Use of professional cleaning products that help breakdown soils faster

Cleaning up property helps address many issues for restoration to preloss conditions. SERVPRO of San Leandro can help establish what steps are necessary and help you complete them in time. Call us any time at (510) 352-2480. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.