Why Fast Water Extraction is Necessary for Vancouver Homes

8/29/2019 (Permalink)

We had to remove drywall to extract water from this home's structure. Fortunately the damage was small and the home was restored in no time.

Managing Water Removal on Behalf of Vancouver Residents

Wet rooms can quickly cause problems to your upper floors and lower ceilings. The source of the problem could be a backed or blocked pipe or the deterioration of vital sealing materials. The outcome is nearly always the same, migrated water that takes passage either through electrical outlets like ceiling lights or onto the upper levels, weakening carpets and other areas. When you face this situation, you should first attempt to shut off the water outlet, as well as any electrics. Next, contact both your insurance adjuster and a professional restorer.

Even relatively small quantities of moisture may require professional water removal for your Vancouver home to return to normal.  Drying the surface texture alone can often lead to problems further down the line if the partition between your floor and ceiling holds onto moisture. Over time, the prolonged exposure to moisture can cause floorboards to warp, buckle, or cup. Equally, temperature changes can affect indoor humidity levels, and cause condensation on surfaces causing discoloration and yellowing.

SERVPRO technicians are trained to remove and restore parts of your home's water damaged structure safely. These activities may include temporarily removing floorboards or tiles to allow airflow into the cavity. We can speed up drying time by using heated air-circulation, as with an air mover, or by using non-heated circulation by placing box fans. During this procedure, we can also deploy dehumidification equipment to prevent overnight microbial growth issues.

Often structural contents, like hardwood floors, need to be treated separately by a SERVPRO technician. Woods holds a natural moisture content of around 12%, any more than that and the woods could expand, buckling under the pressure of their fittings. We monitor the moisture content using moisture meters and ensure the drying procedure does not reduce moisture content levels too low.  Moisture levels too low could result in further damages to your flooring. Once the property is dry, we can begin restoring floorboards by sanding them down and refinishing them to a like-new condition.

Do not let prolonged exposure to moisture ruin your upper floors. Contact SERVPRO of W. Vancouver / Clark Co. at (360) 695-4418.

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