PuroClean Water Restoration

Water damage can be classified as a tragic event to most people who experience it. The causes of water damage can range from a simple burst pipe, to an extreme storm. With the spontaneous weather changes, and bizarre incidences that occur in the world today, water damage happens more often than not. With this being said, it is very important to know the ins and outs of water damage, and the restoration process.

Pic showing sheetrock removed from water damage loss

Water damaged drywall that had to be removed.

Water spreads very fast and gravity does what it is supposed to, it will pull the water to its lowest point. Water will then begin to puddle and soak into the material it is set on. The longer the water remains there, the more damage it will cause. At this point, the water damage may be visible. The effects you will not be able to see can be the rotting of wood, metal materials rusting, and the growth of mold, just to list a few. And depending on the category and class the damage is listed in, the effects could be more, and could be worse. In any category and class of water damage, health concerns are always brought into play. The health concerns can be even worse depending on the family living in the affected home, and their present health problems.

 

Photo of a flooded basement with water every where

An example of a flooded home.

When water damage leads to mold, it can cause allergies, headaches, sinus problems along with heavy constant sneezing, and discolored rashes to name a few. These health concerns are why it is important to not let water damage go untreated, and why it is recommended to hire professionals. This way the problem can be treated by Technicians specifically trained to keep you and your home healthy. With this in mind, wouldn’t hiring a professional restoration company be a good path to take? Yes, having strangers in your home may be unsettling and having (for lack of a better term) your world turned upside down may raise a few flags. But putting yourself and your home in the care of a restoration company is the best thing you can do in this situation. Not only is the restoration of your home a main concern, but your personal well being and feelings are a main priority.

 

Photo of a hardwood floor that wasnt dried efficiently following a flood

Water damaged hardwood floor.

The most common places for a water loss to occur are bathrooms and kitchens, two very important rooms in your home. No doubt your daily routine will be disrupted and this can be a very stressful thing for a family to take in. In order to dry out an affected area a large amount of equipment may have to be set up. Air movers, more likely than not, will be placed along with dehumidifiers and other equipment depending on the circumstances. These may block pathways, or even make certain rooms of the home unavailable. Why would someone put themselves through this in order to dry out their water loss?

 

Photo showing water damaged floor and walls

An example of a water damaged floor + minor drywall.

There are countless reasons, but we’ll start with the more important ones. Take for instance, your wood floors. Wood floors are installed by “tongue and groove” interlocking layers, placed on top of glue. When water is introduced to this material, it will warp it making the edges pop up, causing a tripping hazard. The longer this is allowed to happen, the worse the warping and buckling will be. This is just one example, using one material among the various flooring that is generally installed in homes. Aside from the damage to materials, the main thing to take into consideration is the possibility of mold growth. Mold is a fungi that nobody wants growing in their home, especially if children are present. With this in mind, you will want to take your family’s health into consideration; do they have weak lungs, or asthma? Are they vulnerable to allergies? These are the questions you will want answered if mold is present. 

As you can see, calling a professional restoration company is a good direction to go in. Not only will the damage be removed, you will be at ease knowing you are in the hands of trained technicians. Along with insurance and stress, PuroClean will meet all of your needs and cover the restoration process efficiently and professionally.

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PuroClean Technicians & Equipment

Water damage, fire and smoke damage, and mold damage; how can we restore your home back to its original state? There are two correct answers to this question – well trained technicians and our state-of-the-art equipment. First let’s discuss our technicians, and how they play a key role in the restoration of your home.

Water Damage Technicians

PuroClean’s technicians have been thoroughly trained to handle all of these disasters. There are certain required classes one must take in order to be certified to handle water, fire, and mold. For various reasons, including safety, it is a must that these classes are taken and passed. Water can be a disastrous element, especially indoors. When water is trapped inside a home it can soak into any organic material and unfortunately it will not completely dry. For instance, if you have had a water loss occur in your kitchen and you have hardwood floors the water will seep under your wood floors and will stay there until removed. Knowing how water flows, its damage rate, and how to remove it is what the class will provide our technicians. Fire and smoke are completely different to work with since they have different affects. Smoke will cause soot and soot will get into every single part of your home, every crack, nook, and cranny. Learning how to remove this safely and efficiently is taught to our technicians.

Now that you easier to place efficiently and get into areas a normal fan would not be able to reach.have an idea of what our technicians are trained to handle and accomplish professionally, let’s discuss the second answer to our question. Equipment is vital to restoring a home, especially depending on what equipment you have available. There are thousands of available means necessary to re-mediate your property damage, but what makes PuroClean’s equipment efficient? Let’s take a look at a list of equipment PuroClean provides and how it works.

PuroClean State-of-the-art Equipment

A picture of a standard air mover used to dry a home

What an AirMover looks like.

AirMovers – An AirMover is a large fan (snail) that blows air at three separate speeds. The way they are designed makes it easier to maneuver and place in areas that are tight, and allow proper airflow to penetrate saturated spaces that may not be visible at certain angles. This machine makes your restoration process faster and more efficient.

Ride-on rover for removing water from carpet and pad

A Rover used in water losses - to extract water from carpet, pad and subfloor

Rover – Our Rover is one of our best and most efficient pieces of equipment. It is used to extract the most amount of water soaked into a carpet. This device is laid on the floor, with handles extended; our technicians will stand on it using their weight to press the rover to the carpet. It is then attached to a suction vacuum that will extract over %95 of excess water. The reason this device is so essential is because it removes so much water, making the pad underneath much lighter to carry and more times than not, can save the carpet.

Pic of injectidry system used to dry walls, cabinets and even hardwood floors

An Injectidry machine

Injectidry or DriForce – There are areas in a home that our technicians cannot access with a regular airmover unless removing them is an option. When cabinets or drywall cavities (for example) are soaked, our technicians may use an Injectidry or DriForce system. This device has several tubes that are injected into the wet material. These tubes are all connected to the injectidry and warm dry air is injected into the cavities to dry them from the inside. There are also floor mats which can be placed over water damaged hardwood flooring and connected to the injectidry or driforce. These floor mats draw the moist air from the floors acting as one big vacuum. No doubt, this speciality machine is essential and great to use on a water loss.

These are just three examples of the equipment needed to dry out certain water losses. As you can see, the mixture of our technicians and equipment make the restoration process of your home accomplished professionally.

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PuroClean Emergency Services: Time is your enemy

When water disasters occur, it seems to always come at the most unexpected time. Water disasters such as, burst water heater, flash flood, cracked water pipes, or heavy rainstorm- with all situations there is one common enemy- and that is Time. Only professional restoration companies will be able to handle these water damages with time efficiency in mind.  This is very important and it is encouraged to call a restoration company the second you recognize the disaster- if one does wait to do so, damages and it’s cost for repair will typically increase as time goes by. 

Image showing rot and mold because water damage wasn't handled efficiently

An Example Of Water Damage And It's Affect

Restoration is very much doable when it comes to water disasters. Damages on drywall would be dried, pads or carpeting can be cleaned, hardwood flooring can be dried as well, furniture and other damaged items can possibly be restored; it all depends on time. Professional technicians from a restoration company are available 24/7 and with PuroClean’s qualified specialists’ rapid response and attendance to perform services can help save and contain property and costs 

As a homeowner, it is okay to be distraught about a trauma caused by a disaster. It is typical to feel down and vulnerable when ones home is in a uncomfortable condition, however a professional restoration company can help and knows the first thing that is needed to do to ease the mind of the homeowner as well as ease the situation by professional restoration services. The technicians will periodically inform the homeowner on what needs to be done with mitigation and repair. The main mission of our technicians is to repair all property to a point of norm prior to the disaster in a time sensitive manner. 

It is important to be aware of the health risks that comes with damages cause by water on structures. The structures that are not properly dried down in a rapid manner are in a huge risk for mold to develop and grow. When mold develops it can be responsible for many different reactions and health problems. Mold typically grows in confined spaces and is usually hard to recognize. A specialist from a restoration company can identify the affected areas and help prevent the progression of the mold by rapid remediation with the utilization of the equipment we provide. The technician will remove all mold as well as all of the moisture before mold develops in those areas. In areas in which moisture has already progressed into mold, the technician in which he or she is trained in remediation will do all things toprevent any more contamination’s and perform proper elimination of the mold. 

Aside from mold progression, there are other damages that is cause by water disasters that may need rapid response as well. A professional restoration company is trained to rapidly repair water induced damages such as any stains on furniture, color transfers, cracks or rusting, conflict in electronics or damages on other contents of the things within the household. These  situations can be properly addressed by trained technicians in a timely manner. Remember, time is key to prevent a costly repair. 

Fire or smoke damage to property, regardless of the “size” of the fire, also requires an immediate response. Soot residue is highly acidic and can cause irreversible damage if it is not treated as an emergency. Soot residue can cause the metal in doorknobs, plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, etc., to pit or corrode. Glass in windows, mirrors, and cabinets can be etched by soot residue, causing them to look cloudy and soiled. Plastics, appliances, vinyl windows and fabrics can be discolored by soot residue. A properly trained professional restoration specialist can inspect for these problems and is able to perform the necessary actions to prevent damage from occurring.

When a fire or smoke loss is handled correctly you will see the difference

Before and after a Fire (Smoke Damage)

Damage to property due to any fire or smoke requires immediate response as well. Fire or smoke damage can cause soot residue which can cause damages if not treated immediately due to the residues acidity. The soot residue can cause the items that contains metal to corrode. mirrors, cabinets, and glass can also be affected by soot residue causing a cloudy look. Soot residue can cause furniture to be discolored. PuroClean’s trained technicians will be able to identify affected areas and belongings and execute proper actions in order to prevent any further damage from occurring.

 

 

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Mold Indoors

The process of removing mold can be complicated, especially depending on the area it is in. If your mold is located in a small confined space it may be more difficult to get to, and may make the job a little harder. However, there is always a way to remove this fungi from your home, and doing it safely and correctly is the most important thing to remember.

PuroClean is known for its success in the remediation and restoration field. The proper removal of mold is critical due to how mold works. Mold can grow on any organic material (just about anything in your home). What happens when mold spores are introduced to a mold free environment? The mold will spread and become even worse. In this article you will have the proper steps PuroClean takes explained to you.

The first thing our team will do is assess the situation, the mold, and how they will go about removing it. Containment will always be set, to ensure the rest of your home is protected from the active mold spores. The way this is done is a large section of plastic will be set over your doorway, hallway, etc. to block the rest of your home from the affected area. Once the plastic is in place it will be secured with double sided Polyken tape, staples, or any other industrial made adhesive striping. This plastic will be hung up tightly and airtight with no openings.

Once your affected area is secured and separated from the rest of your home the removal of the mold can continue. Our team will then set up a time and day to remove the mold from your home.

An example of mold growth indoors

While being in the contained area, it is an obligation to wear a full bodied hazmat suit and full faced respirator to protect the health of our authorized and mold certified employees. The reason behind the suits and respirators is that mold is hazardous to an individual’s health. Mold contains spores that can enter a person’s lungs, and may very dangerous, especially if one has asthma. Prolonged exposure to mold may also have a large impact on a person’s health over a long period of time.

Before removing the mold the cause of the water damage must be determined. It may be a small leak from a cracked pipe, or maybe a sink or bathtub overflowed and soaked drywall or flooring. Either way, the cause must be determined and fixed before the removal may continue. After identifying the cause and stopping it from causing any further damage the removal of the affected materials will be done. Any affected material that is removed must be placed in a heavy duty plastic garbage bag, the bag must then be taped and closed to ensure no mold spores can escape and infect anything else.

The materials are removed and your home is almost mold free, what is the next step? Typically if you have infected drywall, the structure of your home will be infected too. This sounds scary but we simply mean that the studs in your wall may have minor mold damage, but this can be taken care of in a quick manner. Our team will scrub the studs with wire brushes, and will also sand down the affected area removing any existing mold. While the mold is being removed, our team uses a Hepa filtered vacuum. This type of vacuum locks in any and all mold that it sucks up, making it impossible for the mold to escape. After the mold is successfully removed and scrubbed off of any materials it has affected, the area will be sealed.

A lot of websites or people may say that you should use bleach to kill mold and prevent it from growing, this is a very false statement. Bleach is mostly water, and water is what mold thrives on. It will use the bleach to its advantage and spread even more. A common thing to do is cover the once affected area with Kilz, Concrobium, Zinnser Gaurdz, etc. There are many chemicals you can use to cover your affected area, our team will provide their own and use them to seal the area that has been worked on.

As you can see, there is a lot of ins and outs to be learned when it comes to mold growth, and removing it. Our certified team will take care of your situation, and will safely remove any and all mold that does exist in your home. Safety is our first concern, and you will be guaranteed a professional outcome.

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The Levels of Water Damage

When a water loss happens in your home, before removing the affected area and the remediation process, the category and class of the damage has to be determined. There are 3 main categories of water damage and 4 classes. Some will be worse than others, but they are typically in order by severity. Discovering the category and class of your water damage is one of the most important steps since different levels mean different health effects.

A Category 1 Water Loss

Let’s take a look at the first category of water loss. A Category 1 (more commonly known as a Cat. 1) will not pose a threat to your lungs, skin, or allergies. Category 1 will not contain pathogenic agents, bacteria, and will not be from any sort of sewage overflow. A typical Category 1 will be from appliances malfunctioning and leaking, or from a bathtub overflow, sink overflow, etc. The water that is exposed to your home should not have any odor or color to it to be considered a category 1.

Somewhat of light water damage.

A Category 2 Water Loss

If your water damage is associated with toilet overflows, then you may have a category 2 water loss. There are different types of water contained and utilized in your home and any grey water leakage will be a category 2 water loss. The reason grey water is classified as more severe is because of what the water contains in it. Usually water from a toilet would make a person sick if ingested or exposed because it contains harmful subjects called ‘Micro-organisms’. Bacteria are contained in the organisms, and can be harmful to your home and more importantly, to yourself. It is very important in a category 2 water loss that the water be removed as soon as possible, before it can cause any further damage.

Category 2 Water Damage Restoration

A Category 3 Water Loss

Category 3 water loss is considered to be the most ‘harmful’ or grossly unsanitary. In these cases the water will be colored, black is one of the most common colors. The water will contain harmful parasites, bacteria, and fungi can grow faster and easier. This goes with any category of water loss however, category 3 is considered more effective when it comes to harmful agents. A category 2 water loss may also be re-classified into a category 3 if enough time passes without it being treated. The reason is because the more time that passes, you are allowing fungi (mold) to accumulate and further damage your home and put your health in danger. It is highly recommended to contact a professional restoration company if you are put in this unfortunate situation.

Category 3 Severe Damage

Classes of Water Loss

Along with categories, there are classes when it comes to water damage/loss. Classes are determined by the rate of evaporation, based by which materials are affected in your home. These materials can be carpet, carpet pad, drywall, and base boards to name a few. Class 1 will be selected if there is a very slow rate of evaporation (if the affected part of the room is small, and the materials are lightly saturated). Class 2 will be selected if the rate of evaporation is fast (typically when the majority of whole room is affected, and the materials are soaked or heavily saturated). Class 3 is selected when the evaporation rate is rapid, and the entire room (ceilings, floors, walls, all materials) are all soaked. The water will usually come from the ceiling in these cases, soaking everything when gravity pulls it down. Class 4 is selected when areas that are more difficult to get to are affected. These require special equipment specifically used for the drying of small areas. Areas such as crawl spaces and attics, and materials like concrete or hardwood engineered wood.

 

Now that you know the Categories and Classes of water damage, how can you determine your water damage and restore your home back to its normal state? Remember, the main things to notice are odor, water color, and the amount of damage that has occurred. If the water is clear, and has no odor, more than likely it will be a Category 1. If the water has an odor, and has color to it (whether grey or black) it is safe to say you have a Category 2, or Category 3 water damage present in your home. When it comes to the Classification that is where a professional restoration company will have to come in. PuroClean will walk you through what your water damage is step by step to ensure you know why the categories and classes have been selected. We will also restore your home back to its normal state in the safest and fastest way, doing all procedures by the book to ensure you quality restoration and professionalism.

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