Humans need water to survive.
Ironically, the very thing we need to survive can also cause some of the most significant damage and health hazards when it’s not in the right place. A flooded home destroys property and creates an unhealthy environment, even after the water has gone down and the home has dried out.
You need professionals with flood service expertise to care for your home. They understand the health hazards of contaminated water and a moist environment. Furthermore, they can create a healthy home after a flood disaster.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about a flood service.
Why Flood Damage Is Dangerous
Floods can cause significant property damage. The water soaks into drywall and flooring not intended for submersion. So even after the water subsides, you’re left with damaged property.
First and foremost, you need to take action to minimize damage and ensure safe property. Any time you’re dealing with floodwater, you’re also dealing with potential health hazards.
Contaminated Water
Floodwater isn’t just clean rainwater seeping into your basement. It’s often contaminated water with sewage and other bacteria.
Sewage holds a host of deadly, infectious diseases. This is why you often hear of cholera, typhoid, and dysentery outbreaks in countries where sewage runs freely in the streets. Thus, when you’re working around floodwater, take extreme caution.
Begin with your clothing. Wear protective clothing, and remove anything that the contaminated water hasn’t touched yet. As you begin your own mitigation efforts, call in a professional flood service.
The pros deal with contaminated water regularly and know how to create a clean environment after unclean water has infiltrated your home.
Mold Illness
Even after you’ve removed the water, your home is prone to mold contamination. Mold is a fungus that grows wherever moisture is present. Many types of mold will cause no harm, but some can lead to serious health problems.
The symptoms of mold illness will vary. Here are a few of the more common symptoms:
- Sinus congestion
- Joint pain and stiffness
- Shortness of breath
- Headaches
- Chronic coughing
- Fatigue and weakness
While these symptoms may not seem serious, no one wants them. They lead to poor quality of life, and they are avoidable if you can get rid of the mold in your home.
There are two types of mold that can grow in your home, pathogenic mold and toxigenic mold.
Pathogenic mold can cause some types of infection. If you have a weak immune system, you can contract pneumonia. The mold can also cause a fungus to grow n the lungs of individuals with compromised immune systems.
Toxigenic molds are dangerous because they produce mycotoxins. These toxins can affect all individuals, whether you have an underlying condition or not. They have even been proven to cause cancer.
How a Flood Service Helps
Professional emergency flood services will help reduce the health risk caused by floodwaters. They can mitigate the sewer damage as well as the general flood damage. They also specialize in water damage cleanup, which means they remove the water and help clean up the mess it caused.
For example, often a flood service will offer mold and microbial restoration. They do more than suck up water. They restore your home so you can live in it again.
Most flood services follow a general order to fully restore the property. Here are the be basic steps they follow:
- Remove the water from the property
- Assess the damage the flooding caused
- Completely and safely remove furnishings and contents damaged by the floodwaters
- Dispose of the furnishings and contents damaged beyond repair
- Decontaminate and clean the flooded property by removing chemical, biological, or environmental contaminants the floodwater left behind
- Inspect the building for structural damage
- Dry and dehumidify the building
As the flood service professionals do their job, you should also have a gas engineer, electrician, and plumber come in to check the various services. You cannot resume the normal use of your utilities safely and confidently without having a professional inspect them first.
Preventing Flooding
Before the flood service professionals leave, ask them what you can do to prevent flooding in the future. You may need to regrade your yard or landscaping, to divert water away from your basement. Perhaps you need an entirely new drainage system and waterproof membranes on your basement floor and walls.
Remember that your floor service professionals deal with water every day. They know what prevention efforts work best, so trust their opinions.
Once the experts finish their jobs, keep a diligent eye on the areas of your home that had floodwaters. Watch out especially for signs of mold. Mold may often manifest itself first in your own health problems, so watch out for it.
The Pros Know Best
When your property sustains flood damage, you feel overwhelmed. You have a difficult time seeing past the trauma of the event, of seeing your wedding album floating in the living room or your family pet perched precariously on the highest point of the room, waiting for rescue.
A flood service will ground you by doing the dirty work and allowing you to recover from the trauma. They do more than just extract water, but they bring you peace of mind. You can confidently live in your home again after a flood because of the professional services provided by a flood service.
Have you recently had flood damage or water damage? If so, contact us.
Our team is certified by the IICRC, and we specialize in mold remediation and removal. We do not just remove water, but we look at the root of your mold problems to find a permanent solution.
Furthermore, we offer free estimates and inspections with purchases. We will provide you with a detailed analysis that includes the cause of the problem and our detailed recommendation for mold removal.
Best of all, we care about our customers. We work hard with our customers and their insurance providers to get the job done right the first time
Give us a call today. We can help you out.
But what really sets us apart, is the fact that we are really nice people, who care about you and your home or office. We will work with you and your insurance to get the job done right! The first time.
