flood damage in pittsburgh

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.

How to Protect Your Home Against Spring Flooding

Posted on by Matt Nelson

Spring flooding is common in the US, thanks to melting snow and seasonal rains. There are a few things you can do to protect your home but before you do, have your flood damage cleanup company on speed dial. SM Greater Pittsburgh provides flood damage cleanup in Greater Pittsburgh, helping you restore your home effectively.

What can you do to protect your home from floods in spring?

Have an Emergency Spring Flood Plan

You need a clear plan of the actions you will take if home floods. This should include steps you will take immediately flooding occurs and after. Have contacts of loved ones, plan a place to evacuate to if necessary and pack supplies for that season.

Get Clear on Your Insurance Policy

If you live in a flood risk area, take the time to check with your insurance company. Understand what your company covers in the event of a flood. Knowing this beforehand can help you plan around restoration if flooding occurs.

Install a Sump Pump

A sump pump in your basement or foundation can prevent flood damage in your home. These pumps divert water away from your home’s foundation while keeping your basement dry.

Clear Drains and Gutters

Sudden snow melts and rainstorms can bring about floods in your home. Check all the drains in your home and clear the gutters to ensure a free water flow. If flooding occurs, call SM Greater Pittsburgh; they provide flood damage cleanup in Greater Pittsburgh and can help you deal with the floods.

Consider Flood Detectors

Spring flooding comes with little or no warning, so as much as you may not see it coming, flood detectors can help to some extent.

Prepare for spring floods by implementing the tips above. But, if flooding occurs, do not hesitate to call SM Greater Pittsburgh. Their team of professionals provides flood damage cleanup in Greater Pittsburgh, taking up the challenge to restore your home.

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.

Flood Damage Cleanup | Before The Professionals Arrive

Posted on by Matt Nelson

Flood Damage Cleanup | Before The Professionals Arrive

Flooding in your home is a disaster that can damage the floors, walls, your belongings, and your health. The worst floods can turn your entire house into a loss. Severe flooding can result in having to tear out drywall and rip up all the carpet. Homeowners who are lucky enough to suffer minimal water damage still need to have professional flood damage cleanup to ensure there is no mold growth, and that the water is removed properly.

There’s a few things you need to do before the professionals arrive if you can however:

  1. Turn off the Power- Water and electricity do not mix. Use the circuit breaker to cut power to your entire home, or the rooms that have been damaged by flooding.
  2. Ventilate the Room- Even if there is standing water in the room one of the first things you should do is begin to circulate the air, ventilate the room, and start the drying process. Open windows if you can, set up fans using extension cords to outlets in rooms that are not flood-damaged.
  3. Remove Furniture- When there is no risk of electrocution begin removing furniture and other belongings to prevent further water saturation. Take these items to a place where they can dry out and be cleaned.
  4. Remove Water- If your area has been hit by a natural disaster, it might be a while before professional flood damage cleanup companies can get to you. Mold begins growing after 48 hours so removing the water and starting flood damage cleanup as soon as possible is imperative. You might need buckets to remove water, a wet/dry vacuum or pumps if you have access to any in order to remove the water.

Flood damage cleanup professionals have tools to make the process go fast and efficiently as well as highly trained crews that can remediate mold and either clean or remove your carpets, damaged drywall, and other things that are water damaged. Protecting your family’s health after a flood is important and professionals can ensure that you don’t have to worry about the health hazard risks of mold after a flood.

If you’ve recently had a flood call ServiceMaster of Pittsburgh at 412-826-1010.