Does a Homeowner Need Professional Flood Damage Assistance for a Few Inches of Water in the Basement Post-Storm?

5/17/2022 (Permalink)

Storm flooding can quickly cause water damage. Contact SERVPRO for water removal and remediation services.

Significant Safety Hazards Present After Storm-Related Flood Damage in Raleigh Can Hide - Your Local SERVPRO Knows Where to Look and How to Keep Your Family and Home Secure.

With great relief, you believe the damage to your Raleigh home after recent storm damage is minimal. Just a slick of water spread across the floors of your lowest levels, and you notice little exterior damage. Is it enough to haul out the wet/dry vacuum and open some windows to get your home back to pre-storm condition?

Can Storm and Flood Damage Hide in Your House?

When the media features storm-related flood damage in Raleigh, the pictures and videos often feature downed trees, branches, and utility lines crushing roofs, windows, doors, and siding. Reporters stand in knee-deep floodwater while sharing real-time information. However, water intrudes even in structures that appear unaffected, and failure to locate and manage that damage can cause severe, although hidden, deterioration and secondary damage. It also presents safety risks as the structures affected can collapse, fail to handle intended load-bearing, and provide an environment conducive to mold.

How Do Professionals Find Trapped Flood Water After a Storm?

Regardless of a homeowner's hopes, SERVPRO managers and crew leads know how stealthy stormwater can be once it enters a home. A loose flashing or row of shingles loosened and blown up during fierce winds and heavy rain can allow gallons of water to intrude. Once inside the house, it migrates downward, often between walls. When encountering a ceiling, it pools; when stopped by nonporous building materials, it seeks dry, permeable components, perhaps wicking upwards from the base of a wall into the gypsum board. If the water is there, we must extract it and dry out the structure. Our storm and flood damage experience plus the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) training completed help us anticipate likely migration routes, but we also use:

• Visual signals like bulging ceilings, bubbling paint, or staining
• Thermal imaging cameras utilizing temperature variations interpreted by trained technicians to locate water cached in cavities
• Moisture detectors and meters that find and then measure the amount of moisture soaked into surfaces and fixtures like carpets

Trust SERVPRO of North Raleigh & Wake Forest to assess your flood-damaged home with integrity and honestly advise you on the best practices needed to make it "Like it never even happened." Our lines at (919) 790-1222 answer 24/7 for any concerns.