Flooding is never nice

4/22/2016 (Permalink)

This is a picture of a commercial flood loss SERVPRO of Beaumont helped get back on their feet and back into business.

Whether you live on the coast, near a lake, or riverside, the flood will find you. And when it does, it can leave you with years’ worth of damage, not to mention credit card bills and bankruptcy.

Various news stories of commercial and residential properties drowning in murky waters, or sitting empty a year later look abandoned and still reeking with ‘remnants of saturated insulation and mold hanging from the beams’ as one homeowner described it…will inject fear into anyone’s heart.

 For that reason, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (hhtp://www.fema.gov/) (FEMA) has published a guide stating which materials are best used in certain situations.

 It’s interesting because even safe materials, when combined with unsafe products such as adhesives, become undesirable. For instance, vinyl tile is an acceptable surface but if it’s applied over plywood it becomes unacceptable because there’s no way for the plywood to dry after a flood. Even oil-based paint can inhibit drying of a wooden wall.

 That’s when you call the professionals at SERVPRO® of Beaumont, to make sure the situation is handled so there are no surprises and no adverse effects on the occupants’ health or safety.

 SERVPRO® Cleans Up the Mess after a Flood

 FEMA says the following are not permitted in flood-prone areas:

·       Normal adhesives which are water soluble or not resistant to alkali or acid in water

·       Materials containing wood or paper products, or other materials that lose structural integrity when exposed to water

·       Sheet-type floor or wall coverings (linoleum, rubber tile, wallpaper) that inhibit drying of the materials they cover

·       Materials that are ‘dimensionally unstable’-for instance, a door jamb that swells and does not return to its original size

·       Materials that retain excessive water after they’ve been submerged.

 We have so much more to lose…

 Homeowners tell us there is no greater devastation than seeing the house they’ve made a home destroyed by a quick-moving flood. The fact that the flood could have been caused by something as innocuous as a leaking pipe behind the washing machine makes the destruction seem even more senseless.

 FEMA’s classification was based on the fact that a home constructed with the vulnerable materials may harbor mold, other fungi or allergens; that materials may absorb chemicals and continue to exude them even after the house has been thoroughly dried. In addition, water renders some materials more susceptible to rot. These are just a few of the many aftereffects of a flood.

 SERVPRO® of Beaumont Should Be On Speed-Dial

 The SERVPRO® of Beaumont team has been trained to respond, swiftly and knowledgably. There’s a reason why FEMA and the EPA recommend consulting with professionals in the wake of water damage.

 Back in the day (as they say), houses were made of straw, stone, or brick. If they weren’t blown down or burned up, they were abandoned by the time the children were grown. Today, the American home is our castle. It reflects our lives, interests, and loves, travels, hopes, memories and the most important people we share it with.

 Let’s hope you are not victim of a home-destroying event. But if it happens, don’t panic. Keep our number handy: 409.212-1977. We’re here 24/7 to answer the call…and make your loss Like It Never Even Happened.