water damage cleanup

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.

Water Damage Signs You Should Look Out For

Posted on by Matt Nelson

Water damage can be physically exhausting to deal with, so it is crucial to leave the mess to professionals. If you are searching for water disaster restoration services in Greater Pittsburgh, ServiceMaster is reliable and can take the weight of water damage off your shoulders.

Water damage can happen unexpectedly, but you can look for warning signs to keep it at bay. Here are alarming signs of water damage you should look out for.

Bubbling Paint

Bubbling paint means there is moisture seeping into the walls. This can come from the pipes running behind your walls.

Color Streaks

If your walls have yellow, brown, or white streaks, it could indicate previous water damage. These marks are signs of old water damage that you might have to look into.

Cracking Walls

When drywall absorbs moisture for an extended period, the material bulges, eventually cracking. You might need to get a professional to assess the situation and determine the cause of damage.

High Water Bills

If your water bill goes up suddenly, you could be losing significant amounts of water along the plumbing line. Call a professional to inspect the lines and identify the problem in such a situation. ServiceMaster has professionals providing water disaster restoration services in Great Pittsburgh and can help restore your home after water damage resulting from leaking pipes.

Mold

Mold indicates moisture buildup on the walls, floors, or ceilings. It starts as light brown spots and turns to black as it grows.

Musty Smells

The musty mildew odor can indicate water damage in your home. It can be challenging to find where it could be coming from, so the best approach would be to hire professionals to run inspections and identify the cause.

Call ServiceMaster for prompt restoration if you notice any of these signs in your home. We have an experienced team providing water disaster restoration services in Greater Pittsburgh, so you do not have to do the restoration yourself.

Who is Responsible for Water Damage? Tenants or Landlords | Water Damage Cleanup

Posted on by Matt Nelson

Water damage is not entirely avoidable and can happen at any time. You should first call professionals for water damage cleanup in Greater Pittsburgh to restore your home as it happens. This is straightforward if you own your home, but who is responsible for water damage if you a renting, you the tenant or the landlord?

The first consideration in deciding who is responsible is assessing the cause of water damage. After figuring out the cause, you ought to discuss the tenant’s and landlord’s role in the cause of water damage.

Landlord’s Responsibility for Water Damage

It is the landlord’s responsibility to install working plumbing throughout the house. The landlord must also ensure that the fitted appliances are fully working before renting out the property. These two things are key responsibilities and a requirement by the law.

The landlord is also responsible for regular maintenance of the property’s plumbing lines and appliances to ensure they remain in proper working conditions. All plumbing issues that arise from normal wear and tear are the landlord’s responsibility.

The landlord is responsible for all water-related emergencies that render the home unlivable. This can be flooding from storms, sewage backup, and blocked drains. If you live in Greater Pittsburgh, consider ServiceMaster for water damage cleanup in Greater Pittsburgh and the environs.

Tenant’s Responsibility for Water Damage

The tenant’s responsibility is in relation to their use of the plumbing systems and water-utilizing devices. As long as the tenant puts them to good use and does not compromise their functionality, any damage that arises is the landlord’s responsibility.

However, if damage results from the tenant’s negligent behavior, they are fully responsible for water damage. Responsibility for water damage largely falls on the landlord, rightfully so as they own the property. When water damage occurs, contact ServiceMaster for water damage cleanup in Greater Pittsburgh. Our team will respond timely and help you restore your home after water damage.

What to Do When Your Basement Floods | Water Disaster Restoration Services

Posted on by Matt Nelson

The basement is prone to flooding, especially during storms. The approach is to have your water disaster restoration company on speed dial. If you are looking for reliable water disaster restoration services in Greater Pittsburgh, SM Greater Pittsburgh is a great choice.

What do you do when your basement floods? Here are actionable steps.

Safety First

You may be tempted to go into the basement and assess the situation. While this is necessary, it may not be safe for you, especially if you do not know the cause of the flooding. The best approach would be to leave that to the professionals.

Call the Professionals

SM Greater Pittsburgh has a team that provides water disaster restoration services in Greater Pittsburgh. They have effective tools and equipment to manage a flooded basement while ensuring safety measures.

Find the Source

Your water disaster restoration company will assess the situation and find the source of the floods. Unless the water is coming from a storm, they will check all the water fittings and fixtures in the basement as possible causes of the floods.

Contact Your Insurance Company

Before restoration starts, contact your insurance company and alert them of the damage. Take pictures of the affected area and communicate the extent of the damage. They will develop a plan to cover the costs if they are outlined in your policy.

SM Greater Pittsburgh is a reliable company providing water disaster restoration services in Greater Pittsburgh and the environs. They have a professional team skilled to handle water disasters and restore your property to functionality.

Myths About Water Damage You Should Not Believe

Posted on by Matt Nelson

There is plenty of information on taking up water damage cleanup and doing it yourself. While most of them are helpful, hiring a professional is the best move. SM Greater Pittsburgh is an excellent choice if you are looking for water damage cleanup in Greater Pittsburgh.

Here are some myths about water damage cleanup that you should not believe.

Water Damage Cleanup Can Wait

The earlier you attend to water damage, the quicker you can mitigate damage and salvage your valuables. As soon as water damage occurs, call professionals for water damage cleanup in Greater Pittsburgh and let them handle the mess.

If you leave your valuables to sock in the water, you risk extensive damage bringing about losses. Additionally, you want to protect your property’s components from damage and maintain their functionality.

The Musty Smell Will Fade Over Time

The unfortunate thing about water damage is that mold can grow as early as 24 hours following water damage. Mold is dangerous and is associated with respiratory issues and allergic reactions.

It comes with a musty smell that develops further if not treated. This is why it is essential to start water damage cleanup as soon as water damage happens; that way, you can reduce the risks of mold growth and subsequent musty smell.

No Water, No Water Damage

Water damage does not need to be a flooded house or soaked furniture. It can be hidden behind walls, under floors, and even in the foundation. This is why professionals for water damage cleanup assess every part of your property to find hidden water damage and cleanup immediately.

Cleanup is recommended as soon as water damage occurs. The best approach is to get professionals for water damage cleanup in Greater Pittsburgh. SM Greater Pittsburgh are excellent in their services, thanks to their skilled and equipped team of professionals.