Do All Wet Materials Need Tear-Out and Replacement from My Hicksville House As Part of Water Damage Repair?

8/25/2020 (Permalink)

Let SERVPRO save your home from water damage. We can make it "Like it never even happened."

Hiring an Experienced Disaster Recovery Company Like SERVPRO Focuses Efforts on Restoration During Hicksville Water Damage Repair.

Although some building materials cannot withstand a thorough soaking, many more structural items in your Hicksville home than you might have hoped are durable enough to survive a water loss. Working with a reputable water damage contractor lets you learn about the options available to repair water incursion, short of a complete removal and rebuilding of affected surfaces, and replacement of supportive structures.

What Are Common Causes of Residential Water Damage?

The media broadcasts loads of information about natural disasters, including severe weather resulting in the need for water damage repair in Hicksville and environs. Although the harm done to your home, if it is unlucky enough to be in the path of a storm, can be substantial, significant water damage can also occur without torrential rains, winds, or other storm activity. Common causes of non-natural disaster-related water damage include, but are not limited to:

• Broken or burst plumbing supply lines
• Malfunctioning appliances
• Waste pipe and drain backups
• Broken or missing caulking around tubs, sinks, and toilets
• Cracked or unsealed grout in a ceramic floor
• Clogged air conditioner or refrigerator or freezer drains
• Poorly installed or maintained gutter and downspout systems
• Landscaping erosion near your foundation
• Ice dams
• Missing or torn vapor barriers in crawl spaces
• Failure to install, maintain, or use exhaust fans in high humidity spaces

What Types of Building Materials Resist Water Damage or Rebound Successfully?

SERVPRO strives to maintain a restoration focus during water damage recovery projects. If surfaces and structures can return to their previous functionality and appearance with professional mitigation and remediation, we embrace and deliver on that opportunity. Structural components and fixtures that respond well to restoration efforts include:

• Hardwood flooring and trim when trained technicians pursue efforts to remove water and dry out subfloors, walls, and ceilings.
• Concrete and resilient flooring, particularly if asphalt and vinyl tiles weather the water without damage
• Ceramic tile flooring, especially if the subfloor receives water removal and drying and cracked or missing grout is replaced and sealed
• Carpeting, especially if we replace the padding and concentrate on swift, skillful but aggressive extraction and appropriate drying
• Built-in cabinets, bookcases, and buffets when creative ways to open up the spaces under and behind the structures permit water release and facilitate the flow of warm, moving air  
• Cinder block or concrete construction when we find any recesses filled with water and implement strategies to release the fluids and dry out the spaces

What Types of Building Materials Struggle with Water Damage and Might Need Repairs?

Water damage survivability depends primarily upon the length of time objects are in contact with the fluids. The permeability of the structural components and the likelihood that the compromised building materials would warp, distort, weaken, or disintegrate because of the prolonged contact with moisture are also critical factors. Fortunately, most of the building materials requiring removal, replacement, and repair after water damage can be rehabilitated or swapped out in a straightforward manner, including:

• Drywall and lath and plaster
• Insulation -- loose and backed
• Plywood and particleboard
• Loosened vinyl tiles
• Ceiling tiles
• Laminate flooring

Why Do Professionals Choose Planned Partial Demolition of Intact Building Materials During Water Damage Repair?

Some of the structural “damage” occurring during a water damage repair project instead is deliberate, chosen as a strategy by water removal and drying professionals. We use devices to detect water pooled in building cavities, filling cinder block cells, and suspended over ceilings. Planned or controlled demolition permits the release of trapped water and an enhanced airflow for more efficient drying. Once we achieve the goals of water extraction and structural drying, we arrange for the build back of the intentional tear out and hole drilling or cutting. Controlled demolition during water damage repair includes:

• Punching of weep holes from the edge to the center of ceilings
• Drilling of water release holes in mortar joints of blocks and bricks
• Cutting of water release holes under baseboards and beadboard pried off drywall or lath and plaster
• Sawing of flood cuts between studs through drywall several inches above the waterline

Water damage repair is a core service offered by SERVPRO of Hicksville / Plainview, provided by highly-trained and experienced managers and technician work crews. Call us at (516) 733-1800 to explore your options for a fast and successful outcome.