What Kind of Damage Can Flooding Do to a House and What Can Be Done About It?

10/24/2020 (Permalink)

Flooding in your home can be frustrating and scary, let SERVPRO help assist you with your Buffalo Grove home.

Flooding Can Wreak Utter Havoc on Your Buffalo Grove Home and the Best Thing You Can Do About It is Call a Good Flood Damage Remediator.

Buffalo Grove, like many other northwestern Chicagoland communities, often seems like the setting of a John Hughes film.  Its idyllic suburban atmosphere, with its tranquil ordered greenery, can trick local homeowners into thinking disasters could never happen in their fine neighborhood.  Unfortunately, this is not the case and springtime flooding is a fairly common occurrence here.

What Usually Causes Flooding in Our Town?

Flood damage in Buffalo Grove generally results from the effects of heavy spring rains that annually impact the Midwest region.  These swell the nearby Des Plaines River and overflow local ponds and creeks.  Since our area is mostly flat, this excess water quickly rises to levels that affect local homes and businesses.  Gutters and town drainage networks clogged by everyday debris and yard waste can further exacerbate the situation.  Also, matters are not helped by the fact that many homes surround lakes that can rapidly spill out onto nearby lands and inundate these residences.  Whenever this happens, it is necessary to call an experienced flood damage cleanup and restoration service like SERVPRO.

How Do the Standing Waters of a Flood Affect Your Home?     

SERVPRO professionals have seen all the various effects of standing floodwaters on houses and their contents.  Some of these develop almost immediately after flooding occurs, while others take time to present themselves.  A few common issues resulting from standing floodwaters are:

• Buckled or collapsed floors
• Warped walls
• Disintegrating drywall and plaster
• Discoloration or corrosion of surfaces
• Dirty water that is trapped behind walls and in other difficult-to-access areas
• Backed up sewage systems

All of these severe problems require the assistance of trained professionals that know what they are doing.  Otherwise, major mistakes could be made that would likely waste both your time and money.

Is It Possible to Save Household Contents Impacted by Floodwaters?

Most times, contents coming into contact with floodwaters are not salvageable.  This is because floodwaters are considered to be the most contaminated type of water.  As such, they are usually filled with the most hazardous pollutants like dead bodies and animal carcasses, human and animal wastes, toxic chemicals, trash of every kind, and dangerous microbes.  With that said, however, SERVPRO is sometimes able to save expensive Persian rugs and other irreplaceable valuables damaged by floodwaters.  We do this by employing innovative methods, industrial-grade washing and drying equipment, and enzyme and chemical-free soaps.

What Effect Do Flood-Borne Microbes Have on Your Home?

As previously noted, floods bring with them harmful microbes.  These microorganisms, as you can imagine, could affect your property in many negative ways.  The effects vary in severity and can impact everything from the superficial aesthetics to the structural integrity of your house.  Some of the most notable of these effects are:

• Mold/mildew stains and other discolorations on floors, baseboards, walls, and ceilings
• Strong musty or otherwise foul odors that are difficult to neutralize
• Dry rot that develops over time and undermines the structural integrity of your residence
• Harmful bacterial growths that could cause health effects

It is important to realize that each of these potential issues becomes much more likely the longer you wait to have your home remediated.  Moreover, if these effects already do exist, they usually only get worse over time if not properly addressed.

How Does SERVPRO Resolve the Various Effects of Flooding?

Your neighborhood SERVPRO has the necessary expertise and all the latest state-of-the-art tools to successfully resolve your flood-related issues.  For years, we have tackled numerous problems associated with standing floodwaters and the dangerous microbes they generally carry.  Our technicians have done this with:

• Powerful extractors and pumps that rapidly remove gallons of standing water from structures
• Professional hazardous waste disposal methods that are safe for residents and the environment
• Advanced high-velocity fans, air movers, and dehumidifiers that quickly reduce interior humidity to normal levels
• Cutting edge Injectidry systems and floor pads that can remove water from difficult-to-access areas behind ceilings and walls, as well as under floorings
• Sanders and specialized methods for handling floor warping and buckling
• Expertise in and specialized equipment for full reconstructions of destroyed structural elements
• High-tech foggers that can fill impacted air and materials with EPA-approved antimicrobials and deodorants

Using all of these impressive resources, SERVPRO experts are usually able to return your home to its pre-flood condition in record time.    

If and when flooding damages your residence, remember that all is not lost.  There is high-quality help available nearby.  Call SERVPRO of Buffalo Grove/Lake Zurich at (847) 279-1940 whenever you need our assistance in overcoming flood damage.