Why SERVPRO is the Company to Call for Property Damage Situations

10/22/2021 (Permalink)

When your home or area gets flooded, call SERVPRO. We are here 24/7 to respond to your emergency.

Why Katy and Cypress Texas Residents Rely on SERVPRO for Restoration Services

There are many actions homeowners in Cypress regularly take to guard their properties against water damage, fire damage, storm damage, and mold infestations. However, the unexpected still occurs, and pipes break, flash floods, hail, and high winds happen, fires ignite from a momentarily distracted cook and an overly hot pan, and a global pandemic is causing a great amount of change in the way we live. 

A higher standard of clean

Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned is a defensive cleaning program that goes beyond janitorial or carpet cleaning. This is proactive viral pathogen cleaning that helps ensure the cleanliness of the restaurants, businesses, and public spaces in the communities we all call home. With over 50 years of expertise, SERVPRO professionals are trained and experienced in biohazard decontamination and chemical spills - always adhering to the cleaning and decontamination standards set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local authorities.

Are you interested in a free quote for our Commercial Services, or are you a Consumer who wants to learn more about the program?

Water Damage Assistance

When a Cypress residence requires water removal, one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is attempting to handle the problem themselves. Mopping and blotting up water with towels or rags works to remove water from the surface, but water migrates easily within wall cavities, behind baseboards, and under flooring. All of these things cause further damage to the structure in terms of ruined sheetrock, delaminated tiles, and in many cases, mold growth.

Water extraction, of both seen and unseen moisture, is vital to limiting loss in the home. SERVPRO technicians utilize advanced moisture detection equipment to scope properties and determine the pathways of migrated water and where to concentrate water removal efforts.

The technicians bring every piece of equipment they need on their green service vans and unload their portable pumps, extractor heads for a carpet pile of any height, and squeegee attachments for tile and hardwood flooring. The technicians do several passes to pick up as much moisture as possible to lessen the time needed for drying — this method of restoration assists in saving both property and contents from secondary-type damages.

Fire Damage Needs Fast Cleanup

Even a small localized fire in a Katy home has the potential to cause more significant fire damage through the spreading of soot through both the HVAC and foot traffic. One of the first actions SERVPRO technicians take when they take on fire loss cleanup in a property is the active containment of the worksite through the use of plastic barriers over doorways or vents or through the setup of negative air chambers.

Technicians perform fire debris removal quickly using shovels and other removal tools to pick up charred, ruined contents. Fire damaged sheetrock and other structural components are cleanly cut away — the removal of these loss items from the property assists in lowering the pungent smoke odors.

Air quality during and after fire damage cleanup is a concern for technicians. They often run air scrubbers and ensure there is adequate ventilation within the contained worksite to continually lower odors. After any needed drying, the certified odor control technicians apply multiple methods to ensure there are no residual odors left behind. Standard actions include the use of devices such as hydroxyl generators that safely use UV rays to neutralize airborne soot particles. Another effective method for absorbent, porous items such as window treatments and upholstered furnishings is thermal fogging where a heated solvent penetrates and eradicates foul smoke odors.

Storm and Flood Damage

Damage to Katy homes from intense storms or flash floods receives treatment in much the same manner as water damage. However, flood damage has the probability of containing toxins, bacteria, and sewage. SERVPRO technicians test the water upon arrival, so they choose the appropriate water treatment method for safety during mitigation.

Technicians work to limit loss to the contents in the property and remove items in an organized pack out to a secure location for cleaning and restoration as needed. The technicians have access to some of the same equipment and methods that the Library of Congress uses to restore and preserve historical documents and books damaged by water.

Controlled demolition techniques perform the dual purpose of removing damaged building materials and allowing maximum airflow for more expedient drying. For example, once groundwater wicks into sheetrock, there is no restoration potential even after complete drying. Cutting it away allows for airflow within wall cavities where otherwise the trapping of moisture could occur.

After drying and disinfection of the property along with any necessary proactive mold preventatives, technicians ready the property for any needed repairs or reconstruction to return it to its pre-flood damage condition.

Mold Damage 

The occurrence of mold infestations in a home has the potential to happen after fire or water damage. They can also occur whenever there is a constant, elevated humidity level such as poor performance by a  bathroom exhaust system not properly porting away damp air from ordinary everyday activities such as showers.

Mold spores exist naturally both inside homes, and out, the airborne spores are inert until they encounter ideal conditions such as high humidity conditions over 50%, excessive moisture, and something to consume such as wood beams, sheetrock or paper products like books or stored files in an attic. Once established, the colonies expand quickly, and infestations increase as long as those conditions remain unchanged.

SERVPRO technicians contain the worksite to stop any further spread of mold spores and rapidly lower the humidity levels using their air movers to deliver warm, dry air. Once dry, existing mold colonies undergo careful hand removal, including gentle scraping and the use of hand vacuums to clean up the dried mold. Wood support beams sometimes require more intense efforts to remove the infestations and technicians utilize a removal application known as soda blasting. This method uses bicarbonate soda delivered at a high velocity working as a mild abrasive to remove stuck-on mold without marring surfaces.

After the completion of mold remediation, technicians diagnose the reason for the infestation in the home and suggest the needed repairs to stop the problem from reoccurring in the future.

Why SERVPRO?

There are many reasons for Katy and Cypress residents to choose a professional restoration service when there is a home disaster requiring cleanup. The technicians undergo extensive training in hands-on scenarios, so they learn the best practices for handling water loss, fire damage, smoke residues, and mold remediation before they ever set foot onto a job site. As advances continue in the restoration sciences, technicians continue their education to stay on top of current trends.

At the first sign of water, fire, or mold damage to your home contact SERVPRO of Katy/Cypress/Champions/1960 . Certified technicians are available 24/7 for any restoration service job needed and arrive soon after your initial call because we are local AND We're Faster to Any Size Disaster.