Why is Floodwater Handled as a Biohazard in My Port Orange Home?

5/9/2020 (Permalink)

When your home needs flood damage restoration services, contact SERVPRO.

SERVPRO knows floodwater can bring a host of problems into your Port Orange home and has the training and equipment to restore your house and contents

This section of Florida has its fair share of wild weather, and unfortunately, flooding can be a part of that. When flash flooding occurs, the water that enters the home has an unknown amount of bacteria, dirt, sewage, and even fire ants can wind up in the home. All of this needs speedy and careful professional mitigation to try to minimize the loss within the property and contents.

My Home Received Flood Damage Two Days Ago Is That Mold On My Walls?
Unfortunately, mold often accompanies flood damage in Port Orange homes. The combination of the year-round warmer temperatures and the raised humidity make for ideal conditions for naturally occurring airborne mold spores to germinate. One that happens, they can spread across sheetrock and home contents rapidly. With their mold remediation certification #MRSR515 Florida License, SERVPRO techs can handle that issue right along with the flood loss restoration services.

Even though floodwater tends to recede rapidly within a home, the water that poses a problem is:
    •    Flood water that seeped into subflooring
    •    Saturated area rugs, carpet, and padding
    •    Got absorbed into hardwood flooring
    •    Wet home furnishings
    •    Ruined sheetrock from wicking water

Detailed Extraction Leads to Shorter Drying Times
The technicians carefully scope the property and also test the water to determine the disinfection level needed. With their biohazard certification #64-64-1785570, the techs have the training and specialized protective gear to handle any level of contaminated water in a home.

Once the water loss area gets determined, they begin the extraction process and remove as much of the remaining moisture as possible. In items such as carpet and padding, there is not a way to restore it to its preloss condition after contamination from floodwater. However, it has the potential to cause injury due to the extreme weight of the wet carpet. The techs extract the water, cut the carpet into strips and dispose of it using biohazard protocol.

Once the maximum amount of moisture gets removed from the structure, confirmed by "dry" passes with extraction wands that show no further pick up of water happening, the techs move on to the drying phase of mitigation.

Controlled Demolition is a Standard Part of the Restoration Services Process
Floodwater brings some of the most costly losses to local properties. A mere inch of the water can result in thousands of dollars in damages. Some of the most common actions SERVPRO technicians need to take to restore homes are:
    •    Collection of delaminated tiles for possible reuse
    •    Removal of floor coverings to dry the subfloor
    •    Flood cuts performed to remove ruined areas of sheetrock
    •    Items in the loss area inspected one on one for restoration potential

The technicians set up cleaning stations for items that are getting cleaned for reuse. The process is the same for each item; it gets looked over and sometimes tested to ascertain the nature of the construction materials. The outcome of that test determines the type of cleaning agent and method, such as immersion or abrasive cleaning types.

The Drying Phase Begins As Soon As Possible
This is the critical element of the restoration services process after floodwater enters the home. Once the loss areas of the home get opened, this makes the ability to force air inside wall cavities, under flooring. If mold growth gets discovered as part of the mitigation, the techs use the drying phase also to halt the spread of the mold and dry them. Once the drying phase completes, abatement techniques remove any remaining colonies and assist in getting the property ready for final repairs and reconstruction.

Walk-Through and Detailed Reporting Keeps Everyone on the Same Page
Insurance claims are a part of the flood loss cleanup process in many cases. SERVPRO techs are very careful to communicate with the property owner and adjuster to ensure any actions done are within the scope of coverage, and nothing gets done without approval. Communication is a vital part of the restoration services process. Afterward, the techs walk the property owner through to go over actions taken and present them with a report that compiles any loss items and a detailed description of their condition and reason for getting counted as a loss, including photographs.

When your home needs flood damage restoration services, contact SERVPRO of South Daytona Beach / Port Orange at (386) 788-0358. The technicians are ready to assist local property owners 24/7 to get their homes and lives back to normal.

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