flood damage

Flood Damage Cleanup in Greater Pittsburgh | What To Do When Your Home Is Flooded With Sewage

Posted on by Matt Nelson

Flooding is an inconvenience that can affect a home’s structure calling for extensive repairs. Despite the cause, there are several things to do to respond to flood damage. Hiring experts is the best way to help restore your home quickly. At ServiceMaster we offer flood damage cleanup services in Greater Pittsburgh.

What do you do when your home is flooded with sewage?

Ensure Safety

It is essential to ensure that your family is safe from the flood. Highly contaminated water poses serious health risks. And if you come into contact, make sure to clean your hands thoroughly and wear personal protective equipment during cleanup.

Address the Source of Flood

Unless the flood is caused by nature, ensure you address the sewage backup. Make sure you seal or turn off any water source in the home. This helps avoid accidents during cleanup and recovery. ServiceMaster is just a call away to help check the cause and fix the damage.

Notify your Insurance Company

When flood damage occurs, you should call your insurance company. This is necessary as they can advise on the steps to take and cover the restoration expenses. If you live in Greater Pittsburgh can reach out to ServiceMaster for flood damage cleanup while you address the damage with your insurance company.

Document the Flood Damage

This involves taking photos and other evidence of the flood damage. This is important for filing incident reports with the authorities and claims with the insurance company. Make sure you document everything, from the cause of the flood to the damage it has caused your property.

Inform a Professional Water Restoration Services Company

Reaching out to a reputable flood damage cleanup company is crucial. They can offer general cleanup services and restore your home to its pre-damaged state. ServiceMaster is an able team with skilled personnel in areas of water restoration.

Clean-up after flood damage can be dangerous and exhausting. If you are in Greater Pittsburgh, visit us at ServiceMaster to restore your home to its full functionality.

The Destruction Flooding Causes | Flood Damage Cleanup in Pittsburgh

Posted on by Matt Nelson

Flooding can incur losses, not forgetting how time and effort-intensive it is to deal with. If you happen to face floods and looking for flood damage cleanup in Pittsburgh, ServiceMaster can come in handy to help you take care of the mess.

Flooding has significant effects on the property’s components which can be expensive to repair and replace. Below are the areas where destruction occurs most after a flood.

Issues Drywall Face When Needing Flood Damage Cleanup

Drywall comes as a porous material, meaning any contact with water results in it soaking up and bulging. Drywall acts like a sponge in the event of a flood, becoming a fragile component to handle. This calls for replacement as the damage is usually beyond repair.

Plaster

Plaster, unlike drywall, does not need to be replaced; however, it takes a long time to dry. It is even worse to get back to usual if there are cracks. In this case, it would need to be replaced.

Insulation Issues When Needing Flood Damage Cleanup

Dealing with insulation after flooding can be challenging hence why you need ServiceMaster. They provide flood damage cleanup in Pittsburgh and will assess the condition of the insulation and advice on strategies to repair or replace affected areas.

Most insulation methods use foam sheets that can quickly soak up water in the event of a flood. The food thing is that insulation does not need to be replaced as it dries well. However, if you have muddy fiberglass batts, you should throw them out as they do not get back to shape.

These are some of the areas that suffer destruction after flood damage. With the help of a flood restoration company, you can assess the conditions to warrant repairs or replacements. If you are looking for flood damage cleanup in Pittsburgh, ServiceMaster has a team of professionals to help you settle back into your property.

Can a House Be Saved After Flood Damage?

Posted on by Matt Nelson

Flooding is one of the most damaging disasters that can happen to your home. Flood damage can be irreversible and can devastate homeowners, especially those who do not have the added protection of flood insurance. There are many factors at play when it comes to being able to restore your home and achieve a successful flood damage cleanup in Greater Pittsburgh. A professional restoration company can combat all of these.

  1. How Long Water Has Sat- The longer water is standing in your home, the more damage that will happen. Cleaning up flood damage quickly is imperative to a complete restoration. Flood waters can seep through your floors and cause structural elements of your home such as foundation, support beams, and more to degrade and rot. Do not wait to call a professional restoration company after flood damage if you want to salvage your home.
  2. Type of Flood Waters- There are three categories of flood waters and category three is the most dangerous and damaging. This category contains the most hazardous contaminants such as sewage and flooding from natural disasters such as hurricanes. If your home has flooding from category two or three, you will need to contact a professional company to complete your flood damage cleanup in Greater Pittsburg.
  3. Amount of Water- The volume of water has one of the biggest impacts on whether a home can be salvaged after flood damage. More water means more damage and if damage is too great, sometimes trying to do the flood cleanup in Greater Pittsburg can be more expensive than a property is worth and result in a total loss.

The last thing a homeowner wants to worry about after a natural disaster or big flooding accident is if they are going to be able to move back into their home. While nothing can be guaranteed, there is always a better chance of complete restoration if you call the professionals like ServiceMaster to complete your flood cleanup.

If you need flood damage cleanup in your home, call ServiceMaster of Greater Pittsburgh at 412-419-3253 or visit us on Facebook.

Water Damage Cleanup – Why Is There Always Water in My Basement

Posted on by Matt Nelson

Few people feel good about needing water damage cleanup in Greater Pittsburg, especially when the damage is in the basement. Flooding and standing water in your basement can be caused by many things and all of them can be difficult for homeowners to deal with on their own. If you are seeing water or moisture in your basement on a regular basis, you may have a much bigger problem than you realize.

Reasons for Basement Flooding

Basement flooding is something nearly every homeowner will deal with but the companies that do water damage cleanup in Greater Pittsburg will always have your back.

There are three reasons why your basement might have constant leaking or flooding issues:

Hydrostatic Pressure is basement flooding caused by oversaturation of ground water in the soil that causes the water table to rise. Pressures rises under the home and the water seeps into the basement.

Lateral Pressure is when looser soil around your home is saturated with water which causes the soil to expand. The pressure against the foundation of the home causes cracks and damage which then allows water to seep through.

Window Well Leakage refers to leaks that come in due to the window wells filling with rain or water and drainage problems. Water will seep through any cracks or gaps, wear down seals, and cause damage to windows and water damage cleanup in Greater Pittsburg to be needed.

Places You are Most Likely to Have Leaks in Your Basement

There are a few places where you are most likely to find water leaking into your basement.

  • Cracks in the floor
  • Cove joints
  • Basement walls
  • Mortar joints
  • Windows

Many homeowners believe the reason their basement if flooding is because their sump pump failed; however, the real cause of the flooding is one of those listed above. A sump pump is meant to remedy those issues but can sometimes fail.

When there is water in your basement, the time it takes to cleanup professionally may be something you are not prepared or equipped to handle. Let a professional water damage cleanup company take care of the mess for you!

If you need help with water cleanup, call ServiceMaster of Greater Pittsburgh today at 412-424-6755, or find us on facebook.

What Equipment is Needed to Remove Flood Water?

Posted on by Matt Nelson

Flood waters in your home is the last catastrophe anyone wants to deal with but property owners living around the Allegheny River, risk the dangers of flooding. Some people like to be prepared and have the equipment needed to remove flood waters on hand to try to DIY their disaster cleanup; while others rely on professional water damage restoration company to get the job done right. 

Some of the equipment needed to remove water from your home can be found at any hardware or home store such as shop vacuums, pumps, and dehumidifiers. However water damage restoration companies have access to industrial grade equipment that makes the job go faster and more efficiently. 

Common Industrial Tools for Flood Water Extraction

When it comes to the hazardous conditions that flood waters cause, you want the professional water removal companies handling the disaster cleanup. Some of the tools these companies have at their disposal include

  • Light wands/ carpet wands
  • Deep extraction tools
  • Trash pumps
  • Submersible pumps
  • High-pressure pumps
  • Extraction units
  • Personal protection equipment
  • Industrial grade cleaning products and chemicals
  • Mold remediation chemicals
  • Commercial carpet cleaners
  • Industrial box fans

While some of this equipment can be purchased through janitorial supply stores or commercial sales, the cost will often outweigh what you would spend on professional water removal companies. Relying on a team of people who cleanup flood damage and complete disaster restoration will cost less and take less time than trying to DIY a disaster as large as flooding. 

Cost of Professional Water Removal Services 

Professional water removal services will range in price from a few hundred to few thousand dollars depending on the extent of damage and services needed to fully remediate the property. Luckily, homeowner’s insurance and flood protection add-ons can sometimes help cover these costs. You might also have home warranties or appliance warranties that can be applied to water cleanup if the flooding was a result of sump pump or appliance failure. 

ServiceMaster of Greater Pittsburg is here to help you with all of your water cleanup needs. Call us today at 412-376-4645.