water damage extraction

Water Disaster Restoration Services in Greater Pittsburgh | How to Acquire Restoration Equipment

Posted on by Matt Nelson

With the right skills, you can perform DIY water disaster restoration; however, you may not have the right tools for the job. The easiest way to go about this would be to hire equipment, even though it is advisable to seek professional help in such instances.

 On this note, if you need water disaster restoration services in Greater Pittsburgh, ServiceMaster is a reliable company. Our team is trained and equipped for any damage.  

If you hire equipment for restorations, here are the tools you need to keep in mind. 

 

Water Damage Dehumidifier

 Dehumidifiers are designed to suck up moisture from water-damaged items and surfaces. When renting out one, make sure it is designed for commercial use to ensure it can handle extensively.

Air Scrubbers

 Also called HEPA filtration/negative air machines, air scrubbers are used to filter and get rid of airborne particles. They are essential for cleanup and can help eliminate mold spores in a water-damaged area.

Drying Fans

Your regular fan at home might not do the job in a water disaster. Commercial-grade fans are designed to circulate air in small to large areas while ensuring the effective removal of moisture in the process.

These are commonly used tools for DIY water removal in a water disaster. They can be helpful; however, you might not get the most use out of them, especially if they are all new to you.

 

At ServiceMaster, we advise letting professionals handle water disasters not only for your safety but also to prevent further damage to your home.  Our team provides water disaster restoration services in Greater Pittsburgh and comes with the right tools for effective and prompt restoration.

Water Damage Restoration | Can Hardwood Furniture Be Salvaged After Flooding?

Posted on by Matt Nelson

Flooding is one of a homeowner’s worst nightmares because there can be such a massive amount of loss. You might be tempted to rent a dumpster and throw out anything and everything that got saturated with water; however, before you throw away your family heirlooms of hardwood furniture, you should partner with a water damage restoration company to help you salvage your belongings.

Hardwood is not always automatically ruined when it gets wet. High quality furniture will be treated to help withstand moisture and water but will still rot when exposed to moisture or saturated for extended periods of time. Although water damage restoration may save your furniture, there may still be damage such as water stains after remediation.

How to Salvage Saturated Hardwood Furniture

When salvaging hardwood furniture, the first thing you need to do is remove the furniture from the water and begin the drying out process immediately. Water damage restoration companies will use dehumidifiers, commercial fans, and other techniques to ensure complete drying happens.

Even after the wood is completely dry mold growth will need to be prevented. There are products that can be used during cleaning that will kill any mold that may already be growing on the furniture.

If any parts of the hardwood are damaged, you may be able to find a carpenter to repair large pieces that need to be replaced. When the wood swells, you may be able to sand the surface to even or level it back out. Small cracks caused by expansion of the wood can be filled in with wood glue. The last thing you can do to restore your furniture after water damage restoration is re-stain or repaint the furniture.

Restoring furniture, floors, walls, or personal belongings after a flood or water damage can be difficult and without the proper methods being used, your efforts could prove useless. Therefore, hiring a professional water damage cleanup company is so vital.

If you have water in your Crawlspace, ServiceMaster of Greater Pittsburg can help if you call 412-424-6755.

Water Damage Cleanup in Greater Pittsburgh | What You Should Know About Flood Waters and Carpet

Posted on by Matt Nelson

When you are dealing with a flooded home, one of the main concerns you will have will be what can be saved from your belongings, flooring, and carpets. Professionals who handle water damage cleanup in Greater Pittsburgh have many tips and tricks they can use to restore your carpets so they can be saved instead of needing replaced. This will save you time and money on your restoration process, but there are many factors that will go into the determination.

How Will Flooding Affect the Carpet?

There are three distinct categories of flooding and each will impact your carpet differently.

Category 1 flooding comes from clean water that is not mixed with any contaminants. When a pipe bursts or rainwater comes in through a leaky roof and soaks the carpeting, if it has been saturated for less than 48 hours, the carpeting can usually be saved through drying, cleaning, and sanitizing.

Category 2 flood water is also called greywater and is water that is contaminated and can make you sick if consumed or if it touches your body. Examples of category two flooding includes overflowing washing machines or dishwashers, toilet backups and overflows without waste, aquariums that shatter, or failed sump pumps. When you need water damage cleanup in Greater Pittsburgh for category 2 flooding, you will need to have the padding replaced, but the carpet can typically be salvaged.

Category 3 flooding is blackwater and extremely dangerous. Sewage, flooding from bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, or seawater, hurricane or storm water, or anything else with dangerous pathogens. Water damage cleanup in Greater Pittsburgh for category 3 flood incidents calls for carpet replacement.

No matter what kind of flood waters you are dealing with, there are other factors that need to be considered before determining if the carpet can be saved including how saturated it is and how long the water has been sitting. The best way to make sure you can salvage your carpets is to call a company that does water damage cleanup in Greater Pittsburgh such as ServiceMaster within hours of the flooding.

Call ServiceMaster of Greater Pittsburgh for all your water damage cleanup needs at 412-960-1653 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.

Top Tips for Cleaning Up a Water Disaster

Posted on by Matt Nelson

Water disasters come in many sizes—from a small appliance leak, to a flood that can damage the structure of your home. All sized water disasters need to be cleaned up as soon as possible. The bigger disasters, such as flooding or accidents resulting in standing water, need a professional.  In order to prevent damage to your home or business, you need a professional water damage restoration company in Greater Pittsburgh. For the smaller water accidents, there are several tips you can employ at home to clean up.

 

  • Wet/Dry Vacuum- A shop vacuum or wet/dry vacuum is vital for cleaning up water disasters at home. There are many varied sizes and the size you need will depend on how much water is standing. These vacuums are made to suction water. Do not use your regular household vacuum to try to remove water from carpets. 
  • Dehumidifiers- Most homeowners have fans, but what companies that perform water disaster restoration know is that it is the dehumidifiers that are vital to drying out the room. Dehumidifiers pull moisture lingering in the air and as it evaporates from the walls, floors, and furniture to stop mold and mildew from growing. 
  • Always Turn off Power- When your home is flooded, the power needs to be completely cut off to the home to avoid electrocution risks. If the water disaster is contained to one room or is only enough to saturate the carpet, you can turn off the breaker to only that room. 
  • Always Wear PPE- Wearing Personal Protective Equipment is especially important when cleaning up water disasters. Gloves, rubber boots, protective eyewear and sometimes even a full body suit are necessary for cleaning up hazardous waste like flood waters or sewage backup. 

 

Water damage restoration can take a day to complete or sometimes weeks depending on the extent of damage. The number one tip any homeowner can take advantage of when dealing with flooding is to call a professional water cleanup company such as ServiceMaster. 

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