Flooded Basement? Water Damage? Broken Pipe? | Water Damage MN
Steps You Must Take NOW To Prevent Further Damage! Restoring your home or business after water damage is a frustrating experience. Fortunately, natural disasters don’t occur every day, and hopefully you’ll never have to deal with water damage from rising water or flooding. However, simple plumbing leaks or overflows, broken or burst pipes and sewer or septic backups are far more common. While dealing with water damage may seem fairly simple (mop or wet vacuum; fans used to promote evaporation), unfortunately, this fails to consider the degree to which water can penetrate into structural cavities and assemblies, creating trapped pockets of saturation. Too late, property owners become aware of the on-going effect of this trapped water on structural and contents materials, which may include: discoloration, warping, splitting, delamination, and musty odor and mold growth. Don’t Gamble with Your Home and Family’s Health! If a pipe, water heater or appliance is broken and leaking, locate shutoff valve and shut off water to house. This will prevent more water entering the house. AVOID HAZARDS! Be extremely careful of the deadly combination of water and electricity. Also, be cautious of slippery wet carpets and floors. Stay away from Raw Sewage backups, which contain nasty bacteria and can be harmful to your health. CALL 612-331-4454 for 24 Hour Emergency Services, from our IICRC Certified Water Damage experts. We’ll get your home clean and dry as fast as possible, to return your life to normal! Prevent Damage – Wood furniture will leave permanent stains in carpet, so move it to an unaffected area if possible, or put foil under the legs until we arrive! Fixing Water Damage NOW Prevents Mold Problems Later! Water Damage Restoration is a complex process. An inexperienced company that rushes through the job can cause more harm than good by drying the surface of your structure while leaving moisture trapped inside the walls and floors. This can lead to microbial growth that can adversely affect your health and that of your family. Done Right has the right equipment to dry any structure, and years of experience in Water Damage, Flood Cleanup, and Applied Structural Drying. After any standing water has been removed and any leaks have been identified and repaired, our specialists use powerful state of the art fans, dehumidifiers, air scrubbers, and desiccant equipment to remove of the extra moisture that remains in the air. We also continually adjust the temperature and humidity to reduce or eliminate any warping, swelling, or cracking of floors, walls, and furniture. “One Call Does It All 612-331-4454” Direct Insurance Billing | At Your Door in 1 Hour or Less | 24 Hour Service Flooded Basement? Water Damage? Broken Pipe? – Steps Your Must Take...
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Water Damage Restoration MN If there was a flood or major pinhole leak or broken water pipe in your home, it is likely that in addition to the water damage to the floors, the walls have been affected, too. There are instances when the water damage to the walls is apparent but oftentimes, the damage is unseen and cannot be easily detected by the average homeowner. If the flood or leak entered a room from the ground level, the floor including the carpeting, if there is any, will be covered by water which will then start to create vertical wicking in the walls. The degree of this reaction will rely on several factors such as the amount of water and how high the water level reached on the wall as well as the wall construction. Drywall is very absorbent because its core is made of gypsum and both of its sides are made of a type of paper similar to a cardboard. Because of its porosity, you can expect water to wick up on a drywall to more than two feet. Both sides of the drywall will be wet but the inside part will contain more water for the simple reason that water would not quickly evaporate from that side. Very often, signs of moisture from the inside of the wall are not visible. For a professional trained in water damage restoration, the process of restoring wet walls starts with finding out how badly the walls are damaged. There is a wide range of professional metering devices that can be used by a restoration expert to help assess water damage. Noninvasive devices are among those widely-used by experts such as a moisture meter that checks for moisture in the wall using radio waves and an infrared (IR) imaging camera that also detects moisture since a damp wall would be cooler than a dry wall. These devices are noninvasive because there is no need to create holes or do anything with the wall material. A professional water damage restoration contractor will select the structural drying equipment in a scientific method based on materials, size of the water damage area, and the class and category of the water damage. After the restoration expert has identified which walls have been water damaged, the drying process will begin aided by several types drying equipment. If the wall has no insulation, drying can be done without having to remove the baseboard or making holes in the wall. The restoration expert will use equipment called air movers to remove the molecules of water from the wall surface and allow the water to evaporate quickly. An air mover will be positioned along the wet wall for, approximately, every ten linear feet. During this process, more water is drawn to the surface of the wall as moisture evaporates from that particular surface. Another important and state-of-the art device used by water damage restoration professionals is a dehumidifier, which is installed to reduce the level of humidity in the walls and help stop the formation of mold. More than one dehumidifier may be used as necessary. A special drying system for the inner walls can also be used if the restoration expert sees it appropriate. This system involves directing air to enter the wall cavity above the sill plate by creating holes in this area. According to studies, this is the quickest and most effective way of drying water-damaged walls. In some instances, the inside or outside wall has some material or coating over it that acts like a barrier that restricts the movement of moisture in the...
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Water Damage Insurance Claim | Insurance Restoration MN You’ve just returned to your home after vacation to find a flooded basement, perhaps due to a sewer or septic backup or broken water pipe and realize that in order to be able to get your life back on track you will have to have your house repaired. Or perhaps a drain clog caused the water in your sink to back up and overflow, and now your kitchen is a virtual swimming pool, right inside the house. What to do? Look for and bring out that homeowner’s insurance policy because you will have to file an insurance claim for water damage. Water Damage Insurance Claims The aftermath of a water damage event is not the time to discover what is and is not covered in your homeowners’ insurance policy. Too many people wake up to a flood, call their providers, and are politely told that they are on their own. Insurance, as it applies to water damage, is a tricky situation. It becomes of utmost importance for homeowners to learn and understand their insurance plans, knowing what is covered, what isn’t, and making the appropriate adjustments. This is the only way to avoid being caught unawares when that upstairs pipe bursts or the local dam gives way. Find out if your insurance will pay for water damage. Filing a Damage Claim For Water Damage Your responsibilities, as outlined in most residential property insurance policies, include, but are not limited to: • Give prompt written notice to the insurer of the facts relating to the claim • Protect the property from further damage • Make reasonable and necessary repairs to protect the property • Keep an accurate record of repair expenses Your actions should include, whenever possible: • Stop the water leak/flow • Remove standing water and begin drying the area • Photograph the damaged property • Remove water soaked materials • Keep removed materials and move them to a secure, dry and well-ventilated area, or outdoors • Protect repairable and undamaged items from further damage • Keep an activity log, including a record of all contact with your insurance company • Keep all receipts • Don’t throw away removed or damaged materials until instructed by your insurance company • Don’t jeopardize your safety • Don’t make large structural or permanent repairs • Don’t exceed personal capabilities By following these guidelines, you’ll be well on your way to properly taking care of any water damage situation in your home. Creating a Home Inventory Creating a home inventory is one of the most important steps you can take in order to make sure you are adequately insured–and it can make filing a claim in the event of a disaster much easier as well. Now comes the hard but necessary part – computing the damage costs. You’re probably at a loss, and don’t know where to start and how to do it. Here we’ll show you how and what to do step by step. Call the Insurance Company The first thing you’ve got to do is call your insurance company to inform them that you’re going to file a claim. Make Temporary Repairs Next, try to prevent further water damage from occurring by making temporary repairs. Make sure you keep the receipts for any repair work done, as payments for temporary repairs will be among those costs you will file for. What is important is that you’re able to arrest any water damage from further destroying your house. If you need to relocate, bring the receipts with you. If there are any wet areas...
Read MoreCommercial Flood and Water Damage Restoration Minneapolis MN
Commercial Water Damage Restoration & Clean Up MN You know that any down time in work or production costs big money. Who has time for a flood? The confusion and questions of “what to do?”,“how did this happen?” and worries of how long you will be out of business loom large. Building Owners and Property Managers Don’t Let An Emergency Shut You Down! Don’t let an emergency shut you down! Whether you are a business owner or commercial property manager you do not question the possibility of a disaster, but rather ask yourself “what could happen, and when?” Time is NOT on Your Side! When a flood, storm or water related emergency has damaged your property, you need the help of an experienced Minnesota Water Damage Restoration Expert that can be dispatched at a moments notice to limit your damage and return your property to normal as quickly as possible. Flooded Warehouse in Brooklyn Center Minnesota The entire warehouse was flooded after a supply line burst. The buildings received varying degrees of water damage with some “severely damaged” by the flooding. The flood waters had various water levels standing in different parts of the building. Upon the initial inspection, the assessment team determined and informed them that spaces which had sustained water damage must undergo extensive work, including the removal of all furnishings and equipment, including computers. Furniture that could be salvaged was cleaned of any contaminates. We remained on site until buildings was secure. The building owner/manager and staff whose offices were in the water damaged building were assisted in relocating until the clean-up was completed. Drywall in affected areas was removed 2 to 4 feet high. The building and all structural components were dried and decontaminated with antimicrobial products and dehumidification processes and any wooden studs were treated with an antimicrobial product. We removed all water in the warehouse Standing Water in Office Removing wet drywall and insulation in warehouse Offices Were Flooded Hallway had standing water Standing Water In The Hallway EPA Lead Safe Certified Certified Water Damage Restoration Expert Brooklyn center water supply line burst flooding the entire warehouse. All of the offices were flooded as well. Flood Damage Is Traumatic. Done Right Is There When You Need Them! Insurance claim specialists are on staff to assist you with professional service and knowledgeable information 24 hr emergency service for: Board Up, Debris Removal, and Emergency Contracting Complete inspection of interior and exterior of property for all related damage, including possible hidden damage. Plus . . . We assist you with the Insurance claim process including: Initiate claim Claim paper work Detailed estimate Meet with adjuster Negotiate the scope and cost of repairs with insurance company Arrange proper payment from insurance company to property owner Your project manager will be in contact with you regularly throughout the project to provide status updates, answer questions and cover any other information that needs to be discussed. If you have any questions or concerns during the project you can contact our office at any time. We’ll be here for you whenever you call. “One Call Does It All 612-331-4454” Direct Insurance Billing | At Your Door in 1 Hour or Less | 24 Hour...
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Water Extraction, Structural Drying & Dehumidification MN Every homeowner should be aware or familiar with the classes of water losses and categories of water in order to understand the extent of losses and degree of damaged brought about by water into the household structure. Below are summarized descriptions on classes of water losses and categories of water: Category 1 – refers to clean water at source. Category 2 – starts with contamination and may cause sickness and other human discomforts once ingested. Category 3 – means highly unsanitary (since the source is from the sewage) and could cause illness or death once consumed by humans. *Water category 1 or 2 will eventually change to water category 2 or 3 when left unprocessed for a certain period of time. Class 1 – losses which are limited caught in the nick of time and contain few materials that are porous or absorbent. Class 2 – losses that involve high quantities or very absorbent materials like carpet and pads. Class 3 – involves water that comes from overhead, wall frames, ceilings, drywall, insulation and floor materials that are highly absorbent. Class 4 – is the special drying of materials in the form of concrete, stucco, hardwood, masonry, plaster and saturated ground soil. There are actually different techniques that are used for structural drying. One of these methods is the “in-place” drying technique which was used and taught in the early 1980’s. The “in-place” drying method during the past decades allows the drying of structural components without major taking away of furniture and fixtures. However, there were some limitations in the employment of equipment for extraction, evaporation and dehumidification. But in recent years, the “in-place” drying system has made great leaps and advances due in part to the better understanding of psychrometry; making the technique more practical and safer for everyone concerned. Principals Of Drying The use of ‘in-place” drying will depend on several factors that must be meticulously appraised should insufficient drying and secondary damages in the form of microbial growth are to be prevented from occurring. This includes but should not be limited to the following: 1. Qualification of the contractor or technicians who are hired to do the job. This would include experiences and academic training. 2. Availability of equipment that are technologically advanced. 3. The water damage contractor’s knowledge and implementation of the Four Principles of Drying, the Classes of Losses and Categories of Water. 4. Proper documentation of drying conditions and all activities therein, which should include illustrations of work progression. For a successful drying project and reduction of any probable microbial growth, a homeowner must be aware of the four significant principles of drying. which a water damage contractor will determine in the following order: What is Wet? How Wet is It? Are We Drying? Is it Dry? The four principles of this drying approach allows a water damage expert to perform its drying and dehumidification services as thoroughly and efficiently as possible, which greatly reduces the secondary damages of mold. 1. Excess Water Removal This pertains to draining, pumping, absorbing and vacuuming methods applied to remove the presence of visible water. It is said that the excess water removal principle is the most abused principle since some contractors are not willing to invest in proper equipment and time to extract surplus moisture sufficiently. In general, water removal could be done in minutes or seconds as compared to evaporation and dehumidification of the same water quantity that actually takes hours and days to finish. Proper water removal or extraction could cut down the Category 1, Class 2...
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