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Residential Water Damage FAQ's

When considering to buy, rent or even selling a home it is important to know the signs of water damage or the potential of water damage. Here in South Florida, we live on the Treasure Coast. The Treasure Coast consists of multiple communities that include Fort Pierce, Vero and Port St. Lucie. Because these cities are so close and even on the water the propensity of water damage increases. Water damage from a flood, fire or even a small leak can cause structural problems and lead to the development of mold which presents a health risk to the homes occupants along with thousands of dollars to repair!

Outside the Home

Typically, the ground around the house should be lower than the foundation of the house. By doing this it directs water away from the foundation and house lowering the opportunity to cause damage. However, if the property is higher than the foundation of the house this could be problems causing water damage. Because of the heavy rains we receive here in Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie, make sure to check the downspouts from gutters that divert water away from the foundation and properly attached. Look for missing or cracked shingles which can lead to leakage in the attic as well as broken or missing flashing. Look at all the exterior window and door frames. If there is separation or soft spots that may indicate rot, mold or leaks.

Inside the Home

Look for other signs inside the home such as:

  • Water rings on the ceiling or walls
  • Soft or sagging spots on the floor near the tub, shower or sinks
  • Warped or cracked flooring
  • Look in cabinets under the sinks for water damage, discoloration etc
  • Pay attention to new repairs to ceilings, walls, and windows Are they patch jobs?
  • Is there just new paint to create a quick fix?
  • Trust your sense of smell- does it smell musty? This could be a mold issue

If you discover water damage in your home, rely on Service Master by Glenn’s that services the Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce areas to assess the damage and fully remediate the damage restoring your space back to its original condition. Call us today at 772-567-4435.

what are the common causes of water damage and is there anything you can do to prevent it? We’ve provided some of the common causes we’ve encountered and our tips for prevention.

  • Flooding. Flooding can occur from a wide variety of natural disasters or system failures. There’s not much you can do to prevent a city’s main water line from breaking, a heavy rain overcoming the city’s drainage system or even a hurricane. For this type of water damage, getting your valuable belongings into a spot that can be reached easily and quickly is the important thing.
  • Fire damage. You don’t think about water damage when it comes to a fire in your home or business, but what do firefighters use to put out the flames? Water! Due to this, you can have extensive water damage throughout a fire damaged home. Prevention for this type of water damage involves making sure any home repairs or wiring are done by a licensed electrician and never leave any electrical appliances near water where they can short out.
  • Appliances. What happens when your washing machine fails? Or your dishwasher? Any home or business appliance that requires water to run can potentially cause flooding in your home. Prevention for this type of water damage involves making sure your appliances are properly maintained and functioning to prevent their failure.
  • Plumbing. This is a very common form of water damage. Pipes leaking, sewage systems failing, faulty plumbing in the kitchen or bathroom all can cause water damage. The problem with this type of water damage is it can sneak up on you. You may not realize you have a pipe leaking behind your kitchen or bathroom walls until a large amount of damage has been done. Prevention for this type of water damage is regular inspection of your plumbing systems by a plumber to make sure no issues will pop up in the future.
  • Air Conditioning or HVAC system failure. This type of water damage is very preventable in the fact that regular servicing will keep this from happening. Water leaking from your air conditioner or heating and ventilating units can cause large amounts of water damage. Make sure to get your air conditioning and heating units inspected regularly.

If you ever find any kind of water damage in your home, make sure to call the water damage repair specialists here at ServiceMaster By Glenn’s for a job done right, the first time.

If you have a pipe burst, water heater failure, toilet overflow, sewage backup or any of the other variety of things that can cause water damage- there are some immediate steps you need to take.

  1. Call the water damage restoration experts. We here at ServiceMaster By Glenn’s can usually be to a location within an hour. You want to get a water damage restoration company on the way as soon as possible so they can help you manage the water damage.
  2. Stop the flow of water. First step is to shut off the main water line of your home, as this controls both the water pressure in the pipes. The sooner you can stop the flow of water, the quicker you can get the flooding to stop.
  3. Turn off the electricity. Just think about it- water and electricity don’t mix! Make sure to go to your main electrical control panel to stop the flow of electricity to the entire house. This will help prevent short circuiting and electrocution through the water. The last thing you want is a house fire on top of flooding!
  4. Start documenting. This will be very helpful for the insurance agencies. Document the extent of the flooding and other water damage to give them an idea of what the water damage encompassed.
  5. Gather your valued possessions. Since water damage restoration can require some sort of demolition to fix the repair, you want to make sure you get your valued belongings like jewelry and photographs out of the way. We here at ServiceMaster by Glenn’s take pride in our water damage restoration methods without having to do much reconstruction, but it’s a good precaution to take.

Water damage in your home can be a scary and intimidating thing. Make sure hire a company that has customer service in mind and the experience to handle the situation correctly.

ServiceMaster by Glenn’s has been in the disaster restoration business on the treasure coast since 1979. It’s critical to address any water damage quickly.  A few simple steps for you at the onset of a water damage:

  • Contact your insurance carrier.
  • Wipe furniture dry.
  • Lift draperies off carpet, loop through a coat hanger and place the hanger on the drapery rod.
  • Prop up wet furniture cushions for even drying and place small wood blocks or aluminum foil under furniture legs.
  • Remove wet area rugs or other floor coverings.
  • Open furniture drawers, closet doors and luggage to enhance drying.
  • Move photos, paintings and art objects to a safe, dry location.
  • Remove wet fabrics and dry them as soon as possible. Hang furs and leather goods to dry separately at room temperature.
  • Remove damp books from shelves and spread out to dry.
  • If damage occurs during a cool season, leave heat on; if in summer, use an air conditioner if available.

When you suffer water damage, the risks extend beyond just the initial damage. Standing water breeds micro-organisms. Viruses, bacteria, and mold can cause airborne toxins that can be inhaled, which can cause major problems with your lungs. Even when a flood is caused from a clean source like rainwater, you can still have an allergic reaction due to the water becoming contaminated.

Did you know damp furniture and drywall promotes the growth of dust mites, cockroaches, and mold? This can cause asthma and pneumonia in susceptible persons. Cleanup of these contaminants requires the technicians to wear protective gear to protect themselves from airborne gases and particles. Once the materials in your home have been damaged by contaminated water, much of the materials and furnishings in the home will need to be discarded. Simply drying out every thing does not remove the contaminants.

The cleanup should include these steps:

  1. Contain the contaminated materials and avoid exposure to them
  2. Check to see if the space has been thoroughly cleaned
  3. Repair and reconstruct the space and prevent the re occurrence of contaminants.

You need trained, certified technicians who are experienced in dealing with water damage to completely protect you from these invisible consequences of water damage.

water damage air conditioningYou just realized water is starting to pool around your air conditioner unit inside your home or business… what do you do?

  • First stepturn off your air conditioning unit. You don’t want the air conditioning unit causing any further water damage.
  • Second step: call ServiceMaster By Glenn’s. You will need to have the water damage cleaned up immediately. If you do not properly clean up the water damage, you are at very high risk of developing mold growth in your home or business. We will make sure any areas affected by the water damage are dry and will not cause further issues.
  • Third step: Notify your insurance company you have suffered water damage so the claims process can begin. ServiceMaster By Glenn’s works with your insurance company to give them the necessary information to process your claim.
  • Fourth step: Get an AC professional to repair or replace your air conditioning unit.

Next question, why is my air conditioning unit leaking water?

The basic function of your air conditioner is to pull humidity from the air. Removing the humidity allows for more rapid cooling of your home or business. Inside the unit, there is a blower that pulls in the humid air over a evaporator coil that is cold. This cools the air down. Since hot air and cool air have been combined, condensation forms. This condensation is supposed to go into a drain line (called a condensation drain line) that goes outside your home or business. If any of the parts mentioned fail, water can leak around the interior parts of your air conditioning unit.

If you experience water damage from your air conditioning unit, call us immediately. Our certified technicians will respond immediately (usually within 60 minutes). Program our 24/7 hotline into your phone: 772-567-4435. We have over 35 years experience dealing with water damage caused from any variety of issues and can have your water damage cleaned up and restored as soon as possible.

ou may not realize it, but your air conditioner produces a lot of condensation, especially during the hot months of summer in here Vero Beach. Since air conditioning ducts run all through your house (mainly through your ceilings or closets), a leak in your air conditioning system can cause water damage you may not even realize is occurring. What’s worse, this water damage can quickly turn to mold in our humid environment here in Florida. The last thing you want is mold in your ceiling!

So how do you prevent your air conditioning unit from causing water damage?

  • Get your air conditioner inspected annually. What should be inspected? The main drain, the emergency lines, the contactor, the coils and the refrigerant pressure. You want to make sure the main drain and emergency lines are not blocked, the contactor doesn’t have burned contacts, the coils are clean and that the pressure is correct for your refigerant. Obviously, if the inspector finds any problems, you’ll want to get this fixed so you don’t have an impending water damage on your hands.
  • Get an algaecide treatment. This is an inexpensive treatment that discourages the growth of algae in your air conditioning ducts and lines. If your lines do happen to get clogged in the future, this will help with mold growth.
  • Make sure to change the air conditioning filter once a month. Restricted air flow can cause the moisture in your air conditioning ducts to have the propensity to grow mold since there isn’t enough fresh air to keep the air properly moving through the ducts. Keeping your filter changed will prevent this.
  • Don’t let landscaping block your outside condenser unit. Restricted air flow from plants or shrubs blocking your condenser is going to cause your evaporator coil to work harder and longer, which in turn can cause your coils to freeze (from the overworking) and then defrost (causing water damage).
  • Make sure you have a safety switch on your air conditioner. This will cause the air conditioning unit to shut off if water gathers in the drain pan. The fact that you are starting to get hot in your home or business will cue you that you need to call a technician to get it fixed.

As you can see, preventative maintenance goes pretty far in preventing water damage from your air conditioning unit. Make sure you schedule yearly maintenance of your unit to prevent future damage and repairs. Call ServiceMaster By Glenn’s if you have water damage of any sort, we will be there within 60 minutes. Program our emergency hotline in your phone: 772-567-4435.

Many people may not know that drywall actually wicks up water! Even more unknown, is drywall can wick up water even if water has never touched it! Drywall absorbs water not only from contact with water, but it absorbs water from the air. This is why it is very important to have your drywall inspected and evaluated if you have had any water flooding/standing water in your home or business recently. We experienced these types of conditions recently in St. Lucie County with the heavy rains and flooding last week.

Here’s some quick FAQ’s on water damage in drywall:

  • How quickly does water wick into the drywall? Water can wick into the drywall from water contact or from the air as quickly as 1 inch an hour. That means if the water sat in your house for only one day, it can absorb into your drywall as far as two feet!!!
  • What does water do to the drywall? Water causes drywall to buckle and warp. This is very dangerous because this can affect the structural integrity of the drywall and even cause the drywall to collapse.
  • How long does it take for mold or mildew to develop? Research has shown that mold can start growing within 24 to 48 hours from contact (or absorption) of the water. Exposure to mold can be unhealthy for your family, so quick response to this is necessary to keep the mold growth from getting out of hand.

If you have had recent flooding or exposure to water on interior of your home, take action immediately! The longer you wait, the more damage could potentially occur. Call the water damage restoration specialists here at ServiceMaster By Glenn’s at 772-567-4435.

Determining who is liable for condo water damage can be a complicated task because it take a great deal of research where the leak is coming from, if it is because of an adjoining unit or from a busted pipe that is maintained by the condo.  Most condo associations maintain insurance to cover common areas in the complex, while individual condo policies cover the interiors of individual units such as walls, flooring and contents. It is important for condo owners to familiarize themselves with the buildings master policy so they understand exactly what is covered and what is not. This will ensure that there is no gaps in coverage which would leave you on the hook for fixing. Some key things to keep look for are:

  • Review both the master, building and individual condo policy to validate what is covered and what is not. This can be obtained by asking the association for a copy of this.
  • If the cause of the water damage is because your toilet over flowed or a pipe in your kitchen burst, the claim will likely be submitted to your insurance policy. If the damage came from an adjoining unit, the situation can get a little sticky and typically condo associations are often reluctant to get involved with unit-to-unit issues.
  • Contact your condo association if any water damage occurred outside your unit. If left untreated, this could cause toxic mold to grow within 48 hours of the water damage taking place.

If the insurance companies are not accepting the claim and the neighbor is uncooperative and denies responsibility, litigation might be necessary.

If you experience water damage to your unit because of something that originated in your unit or somewhere else in your condo building, give us a call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have professionals that are on call and can take care of your needs immediately. 

The worst happens: you notice the signs of water leakage in the ceiling of your condo unit. You know it’s coming from the kitchen or bathroom of the condo unit directly above you. Now what? Who’s responsible for this water damage? Your insurance, the insurance of the condo resident above you or the condo HOA (Home Owners Assocation)?

Here’s how condo water damage is handled:

  • Condo water damage in common areas. Water damage in your condo building could be covered by your master HOA insurance, as long as it is in the common areas. This insurance covers water damage in elevators, lobbys, parking garages or other spaces shared by you and other condo owners.
  • Condo water damage in your unit. Water damage in your unit is your responsibility, not the HOA. The source of the water damage will determine whether or not you are covered under your personal condo insurance. You are usually covered by your condo insurance if you have a burst pipe in your unit, water backup in your unit or water damage from a common area.
    • What do we mean “water damage from a common area”? Water damage from a common area is defined by water intrusion from common areas shared with other condo owners. For example if you have water damage from your condo unit being next to a patio everyone uses and there happens to be a spicket on that wall. If you start seeing water damage on the wall that separates you from the patio that holds the community spicket, that’s covered under the condo HOA.
  • Condo water damage originating from your condo neighbor. Your condo insurance will usually not cover water damage if you have flood or water damage coming from another unit. This is something you will need to work with your condo neighbor on resolving through their condo insurance.

ServiceMaster By Glenn’s is very knowledgeable of the condo rules, regulations and homeowners associations here in the various condominium complexes in Vero Beach & Ft. Pierce.

What is renters insurance? Do you know what renters insurance covers? Renters insurance helps protect you and your belongings no matter if you are renting an apartment house or a living space. Rates for renters insurance vary’s greatly by company, the amount of coverage that is required and the deductible amount that is selected. Since we live here in Florida, you will also need to pay close attention to two types of deductibles that are listed for a hurricane deductible vs. a non-hurricane deductible.

Also, while most renters are mainly focused on covering their belongings for theft or fire, it is also important to consider coverage for water damage. In Florida, this is sometimes a separate policy and is not a standard part of renters insurance.

Does Renters Insurance Cover Water Damage?

A basic renters insurance policy may provide coverage for personal property losses caused by the following:

  • Windstorm or hail
  • Weight of sleet, snow and/or ice
  • Smoke
  • Fire and/or lightning
  • Explosions
  • Freezing of plumbing systems
  • Fire sprinkler failure/accidental discharge
  • Accidental or sudden discharge of water from a plumbing system or other appliance

Although this is not a comprehensive list, this list will vary depending on the insurance company and the policy purchased by the individual renter.  It’s a good idea to check your policy before damage happens to ensure you have the scope of coverage that’s right for you.

When damage does occur, for example, if a pipe breaks under your sink and floods the kitchen, in most cases your landlord would be responsible to repair the broken pipes and any structural damage.  You would be responsible for repairing or replacing any damaged personal property.  If something like this happens, call your property manager immediately and then place a call to your renter’s insurance agent to make sure your personal property is covered.

When your furniture and other personal belongings suffer water damage, look to the professionals at ServiceMaster by Glenn’s for safe, thorough water damage cleanup and restoration of your personal belongings. We’re here for you, whether it’s to clean your rugs and upholstered furniture or to provide pack-out services.

As a real estate agent, you may have encountered the situation where the client is ready to close on a house but the inspection reveals water damage.  Treating mold and water damage correctly is an important factor to the existing home owner and new home owner. You need to be able to assure your clients that the home can be restored and safe to live in.

Did you know that the effects of water damage can be much bigger than just what is seen on the surface? We all have seen water damage and the discoloration that it leaves behind, but do you know it looks like behind the coat of paint or behind the drywall? It is important to hire a trusted certified home inspector to look over your home for water damage and other unseen damage that may not be easily caught.  If you suspect water damage may be present, be sure to recommend a certified cleanup crew that specializes in water damage.  Here at Service Master by Glenn’s, we are specialist in seeking out mold and water damage. We know what to look for and how to effectively cleanup water damage to ensure that mold does not spread and contaminate other areas of your home or business.

We have the man power, necessary equipment and can even handle your insurance claims for you making the experience as stress and hassle free as possible.

So your air conditioning unit has caused water damage in your home or business. You have called ServiceMaster By Glenn’s to fix it… but you are wondering: “is this covered by my insurance?”. The really is no quick and straight “yes” or “no” answer, but we can tell you what normally exists with homeowners policies.

Generally, insurance policies cover “sudden and accidental” damage to your home or business (minus your deductible). This means if the air conditioning water damage floods your home or caves in your ceiling, the insurance policy will cover to repair that damage. However, the cause of the water damage, the air conditioning unit itself, will need to be repaired. Insurance policies to not generally cover the repair (or even replacement) of the air conditioning unit.

Overall, it is up to you, the homeowner or business owner, to prevent further damage to your home or business from the faulty air conditioning unit. Call ServiceMaster By Glenn’s to make sure we address the water damage right away and prevent mold growth. We can quickly respond (within 60 minutes or less) and get local certified technicians to your door to start removing the water and treating the damage. We will work with the insurance company to process your claim and get your home or business restored as quickly as possible. Program our 24/7 hotline in your phone today: 772-567-4435.

There are a number of reasons how books can become damaged. Living here in South Florida, specifically in Fort Pierce or Port Saint Lucie area, books can become damaged during a flood, heavy rain from leaky storage areas or even fire fighting efforts. It takes patients and special techniques to effectively and safely dry water damaged books. As you may already know, water can be extremely damaging and destructive to books. Water is a great solvent and can dissolve glue, warp pages and binding make the printing ink run to other pages and cause pages to stick together developing mold!

Depending on the type of water damage and the severity, you may be able to treat water damaged books at home! One thing to remember, before you get started and handle the books, Do not attempt to handle or clean books, papers or other documents that have been damaged by contaminated or sewage water! Be sure to call Service Master by Glenn’s that services the treasure coast including the Fort Pierce, Port Saint Lucie, Vero and Stuart areas to handle this type of restoration.

Air drying is an expensive way to fix water damaged books. Wet books covered with mud or other muck must be allowed to dry first before attempting to remove the dirt.

Items needed for air drying books:

  • You’ll need plenty of space to spread the books out.
  • Strong, plain white paper towels
  • Fans to circulate the air in the room

Do not use any heat sources to try and advance the drying as this can cause additional damage or even cause them to catch on fire!

If the books have standard non-glossy pages, the covers are still attached and not falling off then try the following methods. Otherwise you will need to contact a restoration professional.

  1.     Leave books closed and don’t open / fan the pages
  2.     Cover the surface with a paper towel
  3.     Stand the book upright on end to allow for water to drain out quickly
  4.     Slip a paper towel between the first page and the biding of the book
  5.     Change the paper towel out periodically as it becomes saturated
  6.     Keep humidity in the room below 40% to help speed drying and reduce mold from forming
  7.     Circulate air in the room without having fans blow directly on the books.

When water floods your home, it creates a humid environment that is warm- perfect conditions for mold to grow! No matter whether the water is from a washer or toilet that has overflowed, water from a broken pipe or even water from storm damage- the combination of the bacteria in the water with the bacteria in the carpet creates the optimal environment for mold growth in your water soaked carpet.

The sooner you can get the water out of your carpet, the higher your chances are that you can salvage your carpet from water damage and mold growth.This is why it’s so important to call certified water damage restoration technicians right when the water damage occurs.. they can work quickly to restore your carpet and prevent mold growth,

How? Consider the steps our water damage restoration technicians take to get the water out of your carpet:

  1. Extract the water. Our first step is to extract the water out of your home or business. We use high power vacuums and pumps to accomplish this.
  2. Use fans. Just as fans cool you off on a hot day, fans serve two purposes in water damage cleanup. First they circulate the air to keep the mold away. Second, they dry out the interior of your home or business.
  3. Dehumidify. Mold loves humidity. The use of high power dehumidifiers is crucial.
  4. Clean the carpets. As soon as the water is extracted from your carpets, they have to be sanitized to remove any mold or mildew that might have been introduced. This also cleans the carpets from any bacteria that might have been present in the water itself.
  5. Clean walls and baseboards. After water damage, not only do your carpets need to be cleaned, but your walls and baseboards have to be cleaned as well. Same concept of why you clean the carpet- get rid of bacteria in the water and get rid of any mold spores that might have the opportunity to set in.
  6. Dry out your furniture. Most water damage to carpets to not occur in rooms that are empty of furniture. An important consideration is making sure all furniture is properly dried out and cleaned to keep mold from growing in the areas that have come in contact with the water. The quicker you can get your furniture out of the room and start drying it out, the higher your chance of being able to salvage that furniture.

If you experience water damage to your carpet in your home or business, call the water damage experts here at ServcieMaster By Glenn’s immediately to increase your chances of restoring your carpet and furniture. The longer you wait, the harder it is for us to save you money. We focus on restoration, not replacement!

  • Plan How You Will Communicate. Think about how you will communicate with employees and your family during a flood. From a business continuity standpoint, make sure you have a specific person designated for status updates. From a family standpoint, make sure you have a safe location to meet up. Take the time to identify these things now so you aren’t trying to figure it out while the flood is occurring.
  • Put together an Emergency Kit. In case a flood does occur, you will want three days worth of supplies. This includes three days worth of food, water, medicine, batteries, blankets, flashlights, first aid, rubber boots, rubber gloves and a weather radio. You want to be prepared in case the water or power service is interrupted.
  • Are You in a Floodplain? Take some time to do some research on the propensity for areas around your home or business to flood. Think about different routes you can take to get around flood prone areas in the occurrence of a flood.
  • Think Preventative. Have a professional come out and check your plumbing and valves so you don’t have a water backup in the drains of your home or business during a flood. Have them check your sump pump and electric breakers (fuses) are in good condition and clearly marked. Most importantly, have a business continuity plan in place.

In the event of a flood, call ServiceMaster By Glenn’s as soon as the flood waters subside. Treating flood damage as soon as it occurs is key. Program 772-567-4435 in your phone today!

If mold is observed after water damage, ServiceMaster by Glenn’s will respond appropriately, immediately reporting our findings to the insurance company.  When the extent of the mold contamination is isolated and/or less than 10 square feet, expensive testing and protocols are generally not required.  ServiceMaster by Glenn’s can proceed with the claim and perform emergency water mitigation services, including remediation of the 10 square feet or less of mold.  We isolate the contaminated area and remove the mold, while protecting the surrounding areas from the possible spread of mold spores.

When an affected area more than 10 square feet is encountered, ServiceMaster by Glenn’s will contain the area, stop normal water mitigation and immediately notify the insurance company.  We strongly recommend the use of an environmental testing service to establish baseline levels of mold, identify the types of mold present and develop a written plan.  Our goal is to work with the insurance company to establish the proper procedures to handle the mold situation.

Remember for your peace of mind, contact ServiceMaster by Glenn’s when you encounter a mold situation or have mold from water damage.

Commercial Water Damage FAQ's

Here’s the scenario: you walk into your warehouse one morning to find a thin later of water on the surface of the concrete slab in your garage or warehouse floor. It cannot be a water leak as the condensation is all over your warehouse floor, not coming from a particular source.

You are experiencing sweating slab syndrome, which can become a commercial water damage problem. In what way?

  • Water on the surface of your concrete can be absorbed by drywall you might have in your warehouse
  • Stored product on the concrete can absorb the water, and if left unchecked, can start growing mold

What causes sweating slab syndrome?

Sweating slab syndrome is usually caused when outside moist air (like we have here in Vero Beach) enters the cooler, drier environment of your garage or warehouse and, once it hits the slab which has an overall temperature lower than dew point, leaves condensation on the floor.

How can you prevent sweating slab syndrome from occurring in your workspace?

  • Make sure to periodically remove any type of stains or deposits from the concrete slab. ServiceMaster By Glenn’s can clean your floors using our commercial floor scrubbing and vacuuming equipment.
  • Make sure you have air movement in your garage or warehouse. Put in large ceiling fans or a commercial dehumidification unit.

If you have experienced commercial water damage from sweating slab syndrome, call ServiceMaster By Glenn’s, the water damage experts, at 772-567-4435.

With the crazy weather and flooding the Treasure Coast has been experiencing in the last week (specifically Ft. Pierce and Port St. Lucie), we thought it would be useful to give you some ideas on how to protect your business assets after commercial water damage.

Here’s what NOT to do after commercial water damage:

  1. Do not enter a room with standing water in it until all electricity has been turned off.
    • Live wires touching water can electrify the water, making standing water in the room very dangerous. Make sure all electricity is disconnected or off prior to entering a room with standing water.
  2. Do not use a regular household vacuum to remove water.
    • Regular household vacuum’s are not meant to handle large volumes of water. Sucking up standing water with a household vacuum will definitely break it and potentially cause it to short circuit.
  3. Do not attempt to lift tacked down carpet without professional help.
    • Wet carpet is very heavy. Not only could you hurt yourself trying to remove damp carpet but carpet also contains a variety of tacks that can hurt you if you are not trained in pulling it up correctly.
  4. Do not use electrical appliances when carpet or flooring is still wet.
    • Exposure to water can cause electrical appliances to short circuit or fail. Since they are not manufactured to be “water proof”, water can easily get into vunerable areas in the appliances and greatly increase your chance of electrocution or fire.
  5. Do not touch or disturb any visible mold.
    • Mold spreads very easily. Mold caused by water is dangerous to you and can have harmful health effects. Make sure you call a mold damage specialist to handle the cleanup and removal of mold so as to not cause harm to yourself or your employees.

We want you to keep these points in mind so you can be water damage smart the next time heavy rains come around! 

In order to determine how to prevent water damage, you have to first determine what the causes of water damage are. Whenever water damage is experienced, you have to first determine where the source of the water is coming from first before you can remove it. Otherwise as time goes on, this problem will re-occur and cause more damage with the onset of mold, mildew and property damage- especially here in Vero Beach.

The 6 most common causes of commercial water damage come from:

  1. leaking pipes
  2. plumbing issues
  3. water build up
  4. malfunctioning appliances
  5. HVAC issues
  6. weather related flooding.

If you notice a spot on your ceiling or wall that may be moist or wet, or display discoloration, a water pipe or roof may have begun to leak.  Proper maintenance of your pipes, roof and HVAC units will help reduce the risk of water damage.

If you suspect that you may have experienced water damage at your facility, give us a call anytime day or night. We will have someone from our specialized remediation team find the root cause and get it fixed right the first time.