Recent Storm Damage Posts
Who Looks After my Home During a Temporary Flood Evacuation?
8/11/2022 (Permalink)
Storms can bring floodwater and storm damage. The professionals at SERVPRO are always on call to handle your water damage restoration needs.
SERVPRO Restores Flood Damage at Seattle Residences After Storm-Related Flooding.
How much harm can a storm flood cause?
Floods are one of the top natural disasters causing property damage to occur to Seattle. When combined with adverse weather conditions like high winds or heavy rainfall, the impact of a flood on your home can be catastrophic.
Is general construction necessary after property flooding?
When dealing with storm-related flood damage in your Seattle residents, we will likely find damaged doorways, windows, or structural harm that can affect your home's integrity. Multiple regions of damage make storm repair more complicated than regular water or fire-related property issues. To return your home to a pre-damaged condition, we must assess the immediate concerns, such as draining the property and rebuilding broken materials or entranceways. Since floodwaters can contain contamination, it is often essential to remove
We are a service that gears toward flood recovery for residents. Our teams are professionally qualified, holding certificates in water damage restoration (WRT), general construction (OSHA), and applied structural drying (ASD), as well as many other contents or structure-related certifications. When you use SERVPRO, you can trust that we have the experience and the expertise to restore your home to its pre-damaged condition. Since we have a comprehensive roster of skills among our technicians as well as affiliations with essential building, construction, and housing associations in the area, it is likely that you only have to deal with one restoration company from start to finish.
porous building materials from the property altogether. These areas may include drywall, which must be removed after contacting floodwaters and replaced.
What stages are there in flood restoration?
- Assessment and scoping for potential hazards
- Mitigative procedures to reduce harm-causing aspects like water migration
- Repair and reconstruction of the structure
In an emergency, it is vital to use professional, qualified storm repair technicians. Contact SERVPRO of Central Seattle at (206) 282-9500.
Revealed: Team SERVPRO Offers Effective Flood Damage Solutions in Seattle
6/17/2022 (Permalink)
Recent storms can bring a large amount of excess water into your home. Contact SERVPRO for effective water removal and drying services.
Be Ready for Seattle Flood Damage When You Partner with SERVPRO
Many regions of Western Washington are likely to flood, although Seattle's flood profile differs from the rest of the area. We contend with riverine, urban, and coastal flooding. Although riverine and urban flooding is currently most common, climate change is expected to raise sea levels while torrential rain events are increasing. All these factors heighten the future risk of urban and coastal flooding.
How Flooding Differs from Other Water Damages
Flood damage in Seattle is considered an infectious waste event, and applicable health regulations and other rules prescribe the steps, tasks, and activities involved in responding to the contaminated water. Like any water damage, we need to remove the fluids, scope for migration, and dry out the structure, but with added safeguards and cautions. The fluids associated with flooding are ranked as Category 3 water, carrying silt, rocks, and other solid debris along with organisms that might be disease-causing. Chemical contamination is also possible.
Some Structures and Fixtures Require Disposal After Flood Damage
Porous materials sometimes cannot be cleaned and disinfected to the required standards post-flood. Carpeting and padding must be removed and discarded. On a case-by-case basis, valuable rugs can be cleaned, soaked in a biocide, recleaned, and dried. Only when an Indoor Environmental Professional test confirms that this procedure resulted in the rug reaching a sanitary condition should it be retained. Drywall either removed during "flood cuts" to release hidden water or, because of crumbling, cannot be reused. Neither can flood water-soaked insulation.
Shovels and Rakes Precede Pumps and Extractors
When storms or overflowing rivers precipitate overland flooding, immediate water pumping and extracting can be challenging to achieve. Significant amounts of mud and other debris must be removed before the water removal equipment can operate effectively. The SERVPRO crews dig in, removing the solids with rakes and shovels. If the debris contains chemicals, sewage, or other potentially harmful materials, we might need to contain the solids and dispose of them according to local hazardous waste rules.
Count on SERVPRO of Central Seattle to help with all aspects of flood damage control, mitigation, and remediation. Call (206) 282-9500 to schedule the team.
Flood Damage Seattle – Roof Punctures
4/13/2022 (Permalink)
Call SERVPRO today for your homes water damage restoration needs. We are always available to help.
SERVPRO's How-to for Your Seattle Home's Water Damage
We have seen recent storms roll through the Seattle area bringing high winds, lots of rain as well as snow at higher elevations. Flooding occurs under these conditions often, either from swollen rivers or debris puncturing the roof of a home. Gallons of water can pour through a hole in a homeowner's roof in a matter of minutes, soaking insulation, leaking through walls onto floors, and more. The damage and the mess can be overwhelming for many people.
SERVPRO has certified technicians for flood damage in the Seattle area, ready to respond in less than 4 hours. We support Seattle and the surrounding area. Our professional teams are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to assist homeowners' houses that have been damaged by storms and experienced flooding.
Repairing Damage from Roof Punctures
Once it is safe to go on the roof, SERVPRO can arrange temporary repairs or place tarps on a damaged roof to prevent additional water, moisture, and even animals from entering the attic through the hole in the roof. Water entering through the roof absorbs contaminants in the insulation and carries these contaminants through cavities in the walls to the floor, where the water then spreads out over the floor. Ceilings may also indicate water damage, and the ceiling could collapse from the weight of the water.
With the chemicals from insulation and building materials absorbed by the water, carpeted floors can also experience permanent staining. Drywall may swell and become deformed. In two-story homes, water can penetrate lower levels to the basement.
Our SERVPRO team evaluates all of these potential damages from interior floods caused by storms, develops a restoration plan, and reviews the work required along with the costs with both the homeowner and the insurance adjuster. Our objective is to repair before replacing to minimize the total cost and the time needed to complete the job. We aim to return the client's home as quickly as possible to its original condition, "Like it never even happened."
Call SERVPRO of Central Seattle at (206) 282-9500 for 24/7 service. We proudly serve Foster Island, Lake Union, and surrounding areas. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.
SERVPRO Provides Full Flood Damage Services in Seattle
3/7/2022 (Permalink)
SERVPRO provides power and water extraction in Seattle flood damaged homes. We remove excess moisture, "Like it never even happened;"
Flood Damage Help in Seattle – Restoration and No Power
The Seattle area receives many wind storms during the year, causing flooding and wind damage to Seattle homes and businesses. Fortunately, there are no tornadoes; however, high winds coming in off the ocean can do much damage and often causes many power outages. Depending on your location, electrical power may be unavailable for an hour or several days. How do you restore a home after flood damage when there is no power to run the equipment?
SERVPRO is well equipped to respond to flood damage events in the Seattle area. We also have the experience and understand how important it is to respond quickly and manage the situation before additional damage occurs. When electrical power is unavailable, we can provide portable generators to run lights and provide electricity to run water extractors, air movers, and dryers.
Board Up and Removing Water
One of the first steps after high winds have caused damage to a home or business is to protect the premises from further damage. If windows are broken, we can screw nail plywood to the windows to prevent further rain from being blown into the building. Tarpaulins may be added to protect damaged portions of the roof.
Electric generators can be brought onsite to provide power for lighting and to run the equipment. We may shut off the main circuit breaker for the building to prevent any chance of fire damage when the electrical power is available. With generators running, debris and water can be removed from the premises. Many items can be dried and removed to a dry area in the building.
An electrician can check all electrical circuits before restoring power. We can avoid short circuits caused by water contaminating wall outlets and devices in the building. SERVPRO checks every area, including interior walls, for water and moisture. Air movers and dehumidifiers are introduced to the worksite to remove all remaining moisture.
With portable electrical power solutions, restoration of your home can begin to return to normal conditions faster, "Like it never even happened."
Call SERVPRO of Central Seattle at (206) 282-9500 for our 24/7 storm damage assistance service. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.
How do Residents of Seattle Deal with Flood Damage?
1/10/2022 (Permalink)
Our smiling SERVPRO team strives to make your flood-damaged home in Seattle appear "Like it never even happened."
SERVPRO is a Professional Flood Damage Repair Service for Seattle Residents
Floods in your area are usually warned of on local radio and government websites ahead of time, allowing you to prepare. However, the damage caused by floodwaters when they reach your property is often impossible to avoid. Most residents rely on restoration services to bring their home back to a preloss condition and perform emergency mitigative procedures that significantly reduce the losses to contents or structure. SERVPRO is a restoration service that has extensive experience dealing with flooding emergencies. We include technicians trained in general construction (OSHA) to help residents overcome material damage to their home's structure. We can also help with:
- Water mitigation
- Emergency flood repair
- Ceiling leaks
You can contact flood damage professionals in Seattle by using our twenty-four-hour helpline. Here you can provide notification of loss and arrange for a technician to visit your property within the next four hours. Early intervention and assessment can often be crucial in reducing flood damages, so we recommend that you call as soon as possible. Our technicians can bring with them the necessary equipment for restoration, which includes vital measuring equipment to track water migration through the home. Sometimes, failure to dry the home adequately can cause secondary harm such as mold growth.
- Borescopes are used to assess the amount of water residing inside wall cavities and are among the most accurate method of measuring structural damage.
- Moisture meters use a probe to ascertain the extent of moisture in materials such as carpets, furnishings, or hardwoods.
- Sensors can help track water in dense materials such as concrete which can expand or crack under persistent water exposure.
In an emergency flood situation, contact SERVPRO of Central Seattle for flood damage restoration at (206) 282-9500.
What Are Some Signs of Frozen Pipes and Ice Damming in Seattle Homes?
12/10/2021 (Permalink)
SERVPRO says insulate your attic to help prevent ice damming damage to your Seattle home
SERVPRO Can Help You Locate the Frozen Pipes and Also Take Quick Action to Prevent Damages
Apart from the inconvenience of salting and shoveling, snowstorms present many other property problems. One likely outcome is frozen pipes or ice damming, and unlike the deep snow piling up on your driveway, the two issues can lead to physical damage to your property.
Identifying frozen pipes and ice damming in your Seattle home early enough is one way to avoid significant physical damage. Knowing the signs to look out for can help you make such timely identification. You can also call SERVPRO to help manage thawing, cleanup, and repairing affected areas.
Some signs of ice damming and frozen pipes include:
- Ice coming through the soffit vents
- No water when you turn on faucets
- Strange smells when you turn on faucets
- Icicles on the edge of the roof
When pipes freeze, water cannot pass through, so turning on sink or bathroom taps may only produce a trickle or no water at all. Sometimes the absence of running water may be accompanied by a foul odor since it is the only outlet. When identified early, it is possible to take quick action to prevent dire outcomes such as burst pipes or roof leaks. SERVPRO can help you take tangible action.
Thawing the frozen pipes is the essential step since it helps relieve the pressure that might cause bursting. The process can be as simple as placing a space heater next to pipes in an open area such as under a sink rather than involving demolition and reconstruction of walls or ceiling space. Our SERVPRO technicians can expertly remove the sheetrock, exposing the concealed pipes for repairs if necessary.
Ice dam prevention starts in the attic. Heat escaping from the below living area results in warming the roof trusses and sheathing. This promotes snowmelt. This sudden liquid flows and may freeze at the eaves or gutters creates the ice dam. Keep your attic well insulated. Heating cables can be another preventative option.
SERVPRO of Central Seattle can help you respond correctly when frozen pipes and ice damming pose damage to your home. Call us at (206) 282-9500. We’re Faster To Any Size Disaster.
Removing Water from Seattle Attics After a Storm
10/11/2021 (Permalink)
Storm and flood damage restoration for your property should be handled by SERVPRO. We will be on-site within 4 hours of the initial call.
Flooding in the attic could destroy Seattle homes without prompt mitigative action.
Flooding is not uncommon in the Greater Seattle area, making a credible plan for restoration necessary before these emergencies occur. We are a reputable restoration company capable of responding fast to storm damage incidents to protect what matters most.
Emergency Services Prevent Worse Conditions
Certain emergency services must be implemented to overcome flood damage in Seattle homes, especially in smaller areas like the attic above the main living space. We establish what damage exists to structural elements if content relocation is necessary and where water removal services will be required.
Water Removal in a Confined Space
When water penetrates the roof of your house, it can impact the entire attic area. As the water begins to pool on unfinished flooring, the threat of moisture migration and the movement of floodwater is substantial. We have multiple extraction devices to help slow and eventually stop the movement of floodwater. Some of these include:
Thorough Drying Prevents Mold Growth
To fully prevent threats like mold growth and microbial concerns, we must thoroughly dry the property. Establishing the appropriate amount and placement of drying tools can be complicated with confined spaces like the attic. We evaluate the progress of our air movers and dehumidifiers with moisture meters and thermal imagery. Regular adjustments make for the most efficient drying possible.
The attic space can be a common location for flood damage after powerful storms move through the northwest. As fierce as these wind and rainstorms can often be, vulnerable roofs pay the price. Our SERVPRO of Central Seattle team quickly responds to storm damage emergencies to get flood mitigation started immediately. Give us a call today at (206) 282-9500.
Can Disaster Recovery Companies Help Seattle Residents with Flood Damaged Home Contents?
8/17/2021 (Permalink)
Storm damage in your Seattle home? Don’t let moisture take over, call SERVPRO right away.
SERVPRO Puts Your Mind at Ease by Spotlighting Restoration of Your Flooded Seattle Household Possessions
Flood damage suffered by Seattle residential structures is the focus of homeowners bailing filthy water out after a storm. Fortunately, structural components bounce back well, sometimes with judicious use of controlled demolition.
Can SERVPRO Also Deliver Flood Remediation Success for
Furnishings, Household Goods, and Personal Possessions?
Our work crews attend the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) to master cleaning and disinfection strategies for a broad range of contents. We invest in state-of-the-art equipment and methods developed with flood-damaged articles in mind:
- Laundering facilities for soft items, including clothing, toys, textiles of all kinds
- Containment pods for safe cleaning and appropriate drying of larger items like furniture
- Immersion and ultrasonic tanks for efficacious cleaning of non-porous articles
- Freeze drying equipment for soaked documents and pictures
- Special techniques dedicated to thoroughly cleaning and drying sensitive and expensive to replace electronics
Why Does SERVPRO Suggest Pack-Outs for Flood-Damaged Seattle Homes?
The SERVPRO team frequently recommends moving furnishings, household goods, and personal possessions to our headquarters. The goal of a professional pack-out is two-fold:
- To expedite the water removal, cleaning, and drying of your home by “clearing the decks” of items otherwise needing repositioning and increasing humidity levels during structural drying
- To assess and provide specialized cleaning, disinfecting, deodorizing, and drying of the pack-out articles while documenting the process and cost to support insurance claims
How Does SERVPRO Accomplish a Successful Pack-Out?
Trained crew members wrap bulky furnishings to protect them from further harm and box up smaller items in an organized manner using our Contents Claim Inventory Service (CCIS) resources. SERVPRO’s CCIS employs detailed lists, digital photographs, and barcoding to track the condition and location and manage the restoration of your packed-out property. The method supports an eventual reunion of your cleaned and dried house’s structure with the flood-damaged contents that make it a home, restored to their previous function and appearance.
Join with the SERVPRO of Central Seattle team to provide all your property with necessary emergency services. Water damage from storm flooding rapidly recedes after one call to (206) 282-9500.
Can SERVPRO Provide Flood Restoration in Seattle?
6/17/2021 (Permalink)
Flooding can cause extreme damage to property and a person's pocket. Call SERVPRO for the help to take a lot of pressure off your hands.
SERVPRO Offers Water Damage Repairs After a Storm in Seattle
As everyone knows, Seattle is often called "The Rainy City." Although the town is not the rainiest in the U.S., it still receives an average of 152 rainy days per year. Therefore, it is possible that sometime during this rainy season, your home could suffer damage and require flood restoration services.
In cases of flood damage in Seattle, our SERVPRO technicians can help you with different types of water damage repairs. After heavy rainfall, your ceiling could start to leak. Or if it starts to flood outside, water could enter your house from the ground. If moisture ever finds its way into your home after a storm, we can conduct the following services to make it seem, "Like it never even happened."
- Ceiling Repairs from Water Damages
- Basement Flooding Cleanup
- Water Removal Services
- Fix Ceiling Leaks
- Repair Leaking Roofs from Storms
If water leaks in from your roof, it could cause damage to several of your building materials as gravity pushes it down into your structure. When this occurs, our SERVPRO technicians take the first step to temporarily seal the leak so that no more moisture can enter. If needed, we can patch holes with wood or plastic until the ceiling leaks can be permanently repaired.
Since any water coming in from the outside could be contaminated, we could remove any drywall that gets wet. We can then treat any other wet materials like your roof trusses or wall studs with an antibacterial product.
If moisture ever gets into your house after a rainstorm, it is wise to have flood restoration procedures performed before the damage gets worse. Call SERVPRO of Central Seattle at (206) 282-9500 any time of the day.
What Type of Flood Damage Is Typical In Seattle?
3/14/2021 (Permalink)
Flooding situation? Contact our SERVPRO team for water removal and flood damage remediation services.
For Resolution of Any Challenge Associated With Flood Damage Call SERVPRO
The lush, evergreen forests surrounding the city of Seattle have earned it the Emerald City title. The forests are fueled by the heavy rainfall experienced in the area. Despite the rainy reputation of the city, you can still enjoy sunny summers and springs.
The main feature that readily identifies Seattle is the iconic Space Needle, built in 1962 for the World’s Fair whose theme was “The Age of Space,” and the unique design symbolized the human race's aspirations to venture into space.
Exploring the City
Seattle offers many attractions ranging from fascinating outdoor locations, a thriving culinary scene, and a great nightlife considering the countless craft cocktail bars and an independent music scene. Anyone interested in exploring the city has numerous options to sample. One of the best ways is to start from the top.
By scaling to the top of the 605-foot tall Space Needle, you have a chance to explore the breathtaking surroundings of the city. The structure offers two observation sections. On the upper level, there is an observation deck with floor-to-ceiling glass barriers providing a safe yet unrestricted viewpoint. On the lower level, there is an all-glass rotating floor that creates a truly unique perspective.
If you want to enjoy seafood, this sizable historic shopping complex is the best place to explore diverse offerings. Several stalls specialize in fresh Salmon, Clam, and Crab. Apart from seafood, you can also enjoy pastries in bakeries such as Le Panier.
The park is a fabulous spot to spend time at any season of the year since it has several impressive features and is free. The park has artworks by several renowned artists like Louise Bourgeois and Alexander Calder. It is strategically located, with the Olympic Mountains offering a unique backdrop.
The Risk of Flooding
Although Seattle is considered a rainy city, the risk of flooding is not that high. However, it happens occasionally, aggravated by a couple of reasons like:
- Urban flooding, which happens when sudden rainfall overwhelms drainage infrastructure
- Riverine flooding, which occurs when rivers or streams overflow their banks. In Seattle, Longfellow and Thornton creeks have caused flooding several times
- Coastal flooding, which is mostly associated with storms. In areas such as South Park, coastal flooding also poses a threat to drainage systems
How Does SERVPRO Help Seattle Homeowners Affected by Flood Damage?
Every flooding incident is unique, which leads to different outcomes. The same flooding incident might also affect properties differently depending on their layout and the contents they have. The outcome might also depend on the kind of response taken since failure to act worsens the outcomes.
SERVPRO helps ensure the affected residents react appropriately. We can assess the situation and determine whether immediate actions such as water extraction, manipulating contents, or safeguarding the structure are necessary. We have sufficient resources to handle all mitigation aspects. For instance:
- Our self-priming trash pumps help remove solid-filled water fast
- Our technicians are highly skilled in completing tasks such as board ups to protect the structure
- We have a variety of protective equipment allowing our technicians to enter the property safely
SERVPRO of Central Seattle helps simplify flood damage restoration for homeowners. Call us at (206) 282-9500 when the need arises.
Correct Use of Thermo-Hygrometers After Flood Damage
2/16/2021 (Permalink)
Storms bring storm damage. Call SERVPRO for fast, effective remediation.
SERVPRO Knows Equipment Needs Proper Use to be Effective
If you are struggling with the aftermath of flooding, you need a remediation company with the right tools.
Monitoring tools make all the difference in flood damage in Seattle. SERVPRO trains our staff to use a range of devices. One of the most important objects is a thermo-hygrometer, which measures humidity levels.
Measuring humidity helps us see the moisture amount and monitor the drying progress. We can also use thermo-hygrometers to compare humidity inside and outside your home or between different rooms to give us a clearer picture.
However, tools only work when they are used correctly. Some of the things we need to be aware of when using a thermo-hygrometer include:
- The potential for nearby surfaces, such as cold concrete or hot metal, affecting the readings.
- The unit's need to acclimate to the current conditions before providing an accurate reading.
- The importance of keeping the sensor clean and making sure the unit has batteries.
For flood damage remediation with accurate readings, call SERVPRO of Central Seattle at (206) 282-9500.
Explore the Arts in Seattle
12/8/2020 (Permalink)
We don't like to blow our own horn, but SERVPRO is your trusted choice for storm damage!
Seattle Has Something for All Lovers of Art and Music
With a population of 3.98 million, Seattle is Washington's biggest city. This modern, eclectic seaport City has a long history. The territory has been settled for at least four thousand years. The first European to visit the site was George Vancouver, who visited in 1792 as part of an expedition mapping out the Pacific Northwest. In 1851, Luther Collins and many explorers found the area and formally claimed the land.
Since its founding, Seattle has experienced periods of both boom and bust. It has been a prosperous timber town, and it experienced an enormous boom due to the Klondike gold rush. In more recent times, Seattle has been a prolific producer of aircraft and software. Many large companies are based near Seattle, including:
- Amazon
- Costco
- Microsoft
- Alaska Airlines
- Starbucks
However, Seattle is not just about commerce! The city has a rich and distinct cultural scene, and visitors come from far and wide to experience its music, theater, and festivals.
Seattle Is the Place for Festivals
Seattle is home to many festivals. These range from city-wide celebrations to street fairs, book fairs, and parades in the different city districts. Some of the most popular Seattle festivals include:
- The Seattle Art Fair is a yearly event that celebrates modern and contemporary art. Collectors and artists from all over the Pacific Northwest gather to view and buy art from across the globe and show off their work. The event features public educational programming to spread love and appreciation for art.
- The Bite of Seattle takes place each July and is the ideal destination for food lovers. The festival is formerly known as Albert Lee Appliance Bite of Seattle, but everyone calls it "The Bite." The Bite is free to attend and features over 200 vendors each year. As well as the chance to sample plenty of delicious local food, The Bite includes live entertainment, beer tasting, cooking demonstrations, children's activities.
- Northwest Folklife takes place every Memorial Day weekend and celebrates the Pacific Northwest region's rich cultural heritage. The festival features traditional, ethnic, and folk crafts, music, and performances. The organizers focus on a different culture each year. Previous themes include Bulgarian Culture, Arab-American Life, and Maritime Culture. As well as scheduled performances, the festival features buskers and plenty of free jamming sessions. Many visitors come just for the exhilaration of playing music with friends.
Seafair celebrates Seattle's maritime heritage. The event starts small, with local street parties and parades, and grows into a delightful city-wide celebration. Annual events include a milk carton derby (where each boat must be made from milk cartons), hydroplane races, the arrival of the Seattle Pirates, flying demonstrations from the Blue Angels, and a half marathon. The festival ends with the torchlight parade, which first started in 1950.
Explore Seattle's Rich Music and Film Scene
Seattle has long been associated with music. The city was significant in the rise of both Grunge (it is considered the home of Grunge) and Garage Rock. Jimi Hendrix spent his formative years in Seattle, while founding members of the band Heart started in Bellevue. Seattle is home to such varied acts as the rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot, several avant-garde jazz acts, and pop bands like The Presidents Of The United States Of America.
Seattle is also home to several distinguished performing arts groups:
- The Seattle Opera is known for its high-class performances, especially of the works of Richard Wagner.
- The Seattle Flute Society is one of the oldest flute societies in the nation.
- The Seattle Symphony Orchestra is one of the most-frequently recorded orchestras in the country and is over a century old.
- The Pacific Northwest Ballet is ranked as one of the top three ballet training schools in North America.
- The Seattle Youth Symphony is the largest symphonic youth association in the country.
Seattle also hosts several film festivals each year. The most famous of these is the Seattle International Film Festival, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors a year, and has been a regular event since 1976. The festival features mostly independent and foreign language films, along with many documentaries. There is also a Polish Film Festival that showcases the best of Polish cinema, and Bumbershoot, a performing arts festival aiming to bring the arts to everyone.
Seattle Is Not Without Flood Risks
In 2006, heavy rains overwhelmed the city's drainage system, causing a flood that took a resident's life. The incident made Seattle residents more aware of the potential for flooding in the area.
Seattle's location means it has multiple flood risks. It is close to Lake Washington and the Puget Sound, and the Duwamish River runs through it. With over 200 miles of waterfront, river and coastal flooding are real concerns. There is also a risk of creek flooding – Thorton Creek and Longfellow Creek have flooded in the past.
SERVPRO advises Seattle residents to stay alert to flood risks. It is a good idea to check with weather agencies or download an app.
Protect Your Seattle Home from Storms
You cannot stop a storm from approaching, but you can take steps to protect your home.
Make sure your residence is in good repair. When a storm hits, it is too late to fix that leaking window or replace a missing roof tile. Make it part of your chores routine to check the roof, doors, windows, downpipes, and gutters on your home and make sure they are sound. If you notice a problem, do not delay – deal with it immediately.
Consider whether it is worth installing a storm door if you live in an area with hefty winds and rains.
You might also keep the materials for sandbags on hand. Please familiarize yourself with how to make them, so you can put them together as soon as you know a storm is on the way.
If your home suffers flood damage, call SERVPRO as soon as you can. Our technicians are on hand to dry, clean, and deodorize your home, and leave it, "Like it never even happened."
Do not let flood damage bring you down – SERVPRO of Central Seattle is here to help. Call us at (206) 282-9500.
What Should Homeowners Do First After Flood Damage Hits?
10/12/2020 (Permalink)
SERVPRO can take over and dry and restore your Seattle flooded home!
SERVPRO techs can tell Seattle homeowners actions to take before they arrive to help lessen the damage to the home and property
After storms with heavy rains roll through Seattle, the potential for flooding increases around homes. Although SERVPRO crews arrive mere hours after the call, no matter when it gets made, there are a few things homeowners can do to ensure everything in the damaged area is not lost and needs replacement. However, SAFETY FIRST.
- Close off the area if possible
- Turn off the electricity to the home if there is a possibility of water coming into contact with electrical outlets
- Avoid breathing airborne water vapor or coming into contact with the floodwater
- In the early stages that flood water enters the home, move small items and valuables to another area if it is safe to do so
What Can Homeowners Do to Protect Their Homes from Needing Flood Water Removal?
There is a line between what Seattle homeowners can do for flood water removal preparation and the reality of how fast your home can take on a large amount of water. There are some things property owners can do around the outside of the home to minimize the potential for flooding that affects their house. First and foremost, keep the water flowing away when it rains, and that can happen in a few ways, such as:
- Make sure your gutters stay clean and invest in gutter screens if leaves or debris is a frequent issue causing clogs
- Ensure the grade of your property directs water away from the structure and not toward it
- Build up your yard, particularly in areas where water pools
- Inspect your home and make sure thresholds and seals around doors and windows are intact
When SERVPRO tech performs the removal of water from homes, they use a broad array of tools and equipment. Particularly in the case of flooding in a home, the sheetrock wicks the moisture rapidly, and often portions of it require removal to dry the interior of the walls. Even though in many instances, the water appears to recede as quickly as it entered the home, it usually migrates inside wall cavities, behind the baseboard, and seeps under floors. The removal of the deteriorated building materials allows for more significant airflow to occur and helps complete drying.
What does detection equipment do for a flooded home?
SERVPRO techs bring their detection equipment to locate all areas of moisture retention so the structure can get dried entirely. They use penetrating probes, devices that measure the interior humidity levels, and infrared cameras to get a reliable picture of the number of air movers and dehumidifiers they need to dry the area as quickly as possible. This is all part of setting drying goals to determine the amount of time and baseline humidity levels to strive for.
Another big factor that affects drying is the envelope of the structure. In short, it means how much outside factors affect the drying inside the home. There are three basic kinds of envelopes for homes:
- Tight envelope indicating rain or humidity levels outside have no bearing on the drying inside the home
- Moderate envelope can mean certain areas of the house have damage allowing outside air inside, or doors and windows are getting opened frequently
- Loose envelope usually applies to older structures and unless they have received energy-saving upgrades, generally have substandard vapor barriers and insulation
Due to the potential for many contaminants and hazards present in floodwater, SERVPRO techs test the water before beginning the cleanup and treat it accordingly to make it safer to handle during the extraction phase of the mitigation. After drying, which may take days to complete, the techs wipe down the surfaces with antibacterial and antimicrobial cleaning agents to leave the area sanitized.
The technicians are alert to the signs of mold growth during the cleanup of a home post-flooding. The setup of an infestation can occur as rapidly as 48 hours after this type of water damage in a home. Mold colonies, in particular, can grow and spread on wood studs and sheetrock, and that is where the techs concentrate the use of antimicrobial agents to inhibit the potential for mold to be an issue. This attention to drying the structure and avoidance of the secondary problems ensures the repairs can start quickly to bring the home to its pre-flood condition.
SERVPRO of Central Seattle at (206) 282-9500 serves the local community for any size flood water removal needed. The certified techs know how to handle this home disaster safely and can restore your home back to normal, "Like it never even happened."
How Do I Care for My Upholstered Furniture After a Flood in Seattle?
7/26/2020 (Permalink)
Flood damage can negatively impact your property if you do not get it taken care of correctly. Call SERVPRO for flood damage remediation.
Our Seattle SERVPRO Team Cleans Your Upholstery Using Various Techniques
Flooding impacts not only the structure of your Seattle home but also the contents such as furniture and other personal belongings. Although each flooding situation is unique, contamination mitigation plays a part in the cleanup to keep your home and family safe. It is essential to clean everything touched by floodwater to stop harmful bacteria, fungi, and viruses from growing in your home.
What Is the Difference Between Showcase and Regular Upholstery Cleaning?
SERVPRO Uses Extra Precautions for Heavily Soiled Areas
In Seattle, floodwater is typically categorized as category 3, contaminated water; upholstered furniture often requires additional attention to mitigate further flood damage in your Seattle home. Agitating the surface and applying a shampoo solution is crucial to best cleaning the surface, and unlike in regular cleaning, showcasing employs the use of extraction equipment rather than towel drying the furniture surface to ensure a more thorough clean.
What are The Steps for Showcase Cleaning?
- Put your upholstered furniture on a drop cloth to avoid soiling the flooring underneath and protect other contents in your home.
- Agitate the surface gently with a pilator to bring debris to the surface to ensure a more thorough cleaning.
- Vacuum off any loose debris.
- Apply solution, first to cushions, and then working toward the back of the furniture.
- Extract the shampoo solution with a portable or truck-mounted extractor.
After extraction, it is vital to allow the furniture to dry before using it. Technicians may use moisture meters to test the levels of water held in the furniture throughout the process, so it dries completely.
For 24/7 assistance after a flood, contact SERVPRO of Central Seattle at (206) 282-9500. We make it, "Like it never even happened."
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Water Invaded My Seattle Area Home, what is the Best Storm Damage Remediation Service to Call?
5/14/2020 (Permalink)
Frequent roof inspections are one thing you can do to help prevent water damage to your home.
Although There are Several Storm Flood Damage Cleanup and Restoration Companies Out There, Only a Few Like SERVPRO Can Do The Job Right
Seattle, located in the Pacific Northwest, is infamous for its stormy, rainy weather. This weather and being surrounded by large bodies of water makes Seattle especially prone to flooding. So, area homeowners have to accept this ever-present risk. With that said, however, there are important ways you can limit storm flood damage and options for having it fixed. Prevention, of course, is always the best way to avoid related losses. Unfortunately, preventative measures may not always be possible. When this is the case, and flooding does impact your home, rest assured that services like SERVPRO can help you clean and restore your house.
Why are Services Like SERVPRO Better Than Others in Seattle?
There are several critical benefits to enlisting the help of a skilled and highly experienced Seattle storm flood damage company like SERVPRO. Some of these benefits are:
- Our company's technicians, certified by the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), completes the work correctly the first time.
- Our trained experts complete your job. We certify each of our professionals in health and safety, applied microbial remediation, applied structural drying, water damage restoration, and odor control.
- We have access to vehicles and equipment from the 1,700 other firms in our chain as a franchise in a nationwide chain.
- We can use a disaster recovery team to help resolve any major loss event you may experience.
- Our technicians have all the right tools to scientifically clean and restore your home. These tools include extractors, wet vacs, moisture meters/sensors, thermohygrometers, desiccant and refrigerant dehumidifiers, air movers, injectidry systems, powerful fungicides and disinfectants, and high-tech foggers.
With our professional workforce and equipment, we are often able to clean and restore your residence to pre-flood conditions in much less time than other service providers. Many times, this enables us to save you considerable time and money.
What are Some Preventative Measures I Can Take to Limit Potential Flood Damage?
Before severe storms, you should take some steps to limit potential flood damage. The following preventative actions, while not always entirely effective, do improve your odds of escaping the worst outcomes:
- Shutting-off your utilities before leaving your home
- Waterproofing your foundation
- Ensuring that your roof is in good condition and not leaking
- Making sure your gutters are clean and in good working order
- Using plywood to protect all windows and openings
- Diverting floodwaters with sandbags
These measures allow your house to weather Seattle's severe storms and flooding for a while and work best against storms of shorter durations. Of course, the worst natural disasters usually overcome these defenses quite easily. In these cases, you certainly need the help of Seattle area cleaning and restoration professionals.
How Does SERVPRO Help Me with My Storm-Related Flood Damage in Seattle?
Once you call SERVPRO, there are several things we can do to help you. Our services generally include inspections, property securing, floodwater cleanup, hazardous waste disposal, microorganism elimination, home interior drying, and deodorization. When we arrive at your home, workers usually:
- Determine your residence’s level of water damage
- Extract standing floodwater from your home
- Remove fallen trees, other debris, and hazardous waste from your property
- Use EPA-approved disinfectants and fungicides to eliminate harmful microorganisms in your home
- Dry your home’s interior until it reaches a scientifically determined drying goal
- Deodorize everything, removing all unwanted flood-related odors
- Secure your home, if necessary, against the elements and would-be trespassers by placing roof tarps, installing fences, and boarding up windows and other openings
These actions effectively restore your home to pre-flood conditions and help prevent potential future issues.
Whenever you hear of a major storm’s approach, remember to prepare your home for possible flooding adequately. Simply waterproofing your foundation, ensuring your roof’s drainage system is functioning correctly, trimming dangerous overhanging tree limbs, boarding up windows and other openings, and sandbagging critical areas around your house can go a long way to protecting your housing investment. In many cases, all this should save your residence from the worst storm-connected damage.
There are times, of course, when whatever you do, you cannot save your property from significant injury. However, during those times, always remember that often even the worst flood damage can be remediated. When and if you do experience such weather-related losses, do your research and contact a good cleaning and restoration company to solve your problem. If you are ever unsure of anything and need help, you can always call SERVPRO of Central Seattle at (206) 282-9500.
Who Do I Contact to Remove Flood Damage?
5/10/2020 (Permalink)
When storm waters seep across your basement floor, contact SERVPRO for fast removal.
SERVPRO Can Assist with Post-Flood Water Extraction in Seattle Basements
Because flash flooding can affect your Seattle property unexpectedly, any vulnerabilities in the foundation of your house and access to the basement level of the property can become quickly exploited. Addressing these flood effects involves the fast response of our SERVPRO team and the efficient extraction tools in our inventory.
After flood damage in Seattle homes, specific actions must happen immediately to reduce structural concerns and the deterioration of exposed contents. The restoration and recovery of water penetration into your basement involves several steps, including:
- Removing the standing water with multiple extractors
- Cleaning contaminated surfaces and structural supports
- Repairing the penetration points to prevent further water migration
Before areas can get cleaned or even fully repaired, our SERVPRO team must address the standing water in the basement with one of the multiple extractor units available to our professionals. Most often, for flooding that could have solids and debris in it, the choice of extraction tool falls to truck-mount extractors or gas-powered pumps. These two options both have less in the line of filtration to reduce the removal of small solids and particulates in the standing water.
Cleaning up after the water pouring into your home during a flash flood is vital to reducing the spread and severity of bacterial threats, contaminants, and microbial growth. With a dry platform of flooring and exposed concrete masonry units in the basement, we can utilize powerful cleaning solutions like biocides and disinfection agents to eliminate microorganisms and bacterial threats on surfaces.
Because so many area homes have basements, it is the most likely location for flash flooding damage to end up when these disasters occur. Our SERVPRO of Central Seattle team can help you through the restoration, extraction, and cleaning of these conditions when you need it by calling (206) 282-9500.
How Professionals Restore Flood Damaged Subfloors in Seattle Homes
2/3/2020 (Permalink)
Water can quickly damage the subfloor. SERVPRO is equipped and trained to restore your water damaged floor.
Flood Damage and Subfloor Restoration for Seattle Residents
Bringing your home back to its preloss condition after flooding can be a challenging task for even the most enthusiastic home repair people. Floodwaters spread quickly from the source and can often seep into the wall spaces or through the floor, where it begins to saturate the subfloor below. Subfloor damages as a result of flooding can result in significant losses for a homeowner. Once moisture saturates the subfloor, there is a high chance of rot, mold growth, or weakening of the structure itself.
Since harm to your subfloor often goes unnoticed, it can impact homeowners several months after flood damage to their Seattle home. At SERVPRO, we find that a great many of our mold remediation jobs are caused by a flood or water incident at the property several months before. When your property is full of floodwater, understandably, you prioritize removing moisture and drying the property. However, without conducting a full inspection of the subfloor, you could be a victim of significant flood-related losses.
Assessing your subfloor can be difficult as various fittings need removal to gain access. SERVPRO technicians use moisture sensors to gain an accurate picture of subfloor water damage without removing materials. Moisture sensors use sharp probes to push through carpets and tell a technician whether or not standing water has migrated downward. Should a moisture sensor return a positive reading for moisture, your technician may need to remove carpet or floorboards to dry the subfloor.
Subfloor pads are often the first thing to go when water migrates into the subfloor. These large porous materials absorb water quickly and can break apart when wet. SERVPRO technicians can remove the pad, cut it into smaller pieces, and place it into a waste disposal bag. The removal of the pad allows us to gain direct access to the subfloor, where we can deploy standing extractors to remove any excess from the affected area. In some cases, we may deploy desiccant dehumidifiers to draw moisture from a subfloor with high levels of saturation. Once dry, we can replace the existing subfloor pad with a new one at a low-cost.
Professional restoration services can protect your home from sustaining damages further down the line. Contact SERVPRO of Central Seattle at (206) 282-9500.
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Use extra caution when navigating flooded roads during a storm
3/12/2018 (Permalink)
Use extra caution when navigating flooded roads during a storm
Driving on the roads during a storm doesn't seem like that big of a deal to some. Getting home is often the biggest concern on someone's mind and choosing an alternate route just doesn't seem efficient.
When flood waters raise it is hard to distinguish just how high the water level is. Underestimating the power of a few inches of rain has left more than one Seattle area driver stranded in the middle of the river flowing road.
Always pay attention to the emergency ponderer's warning signs on roads and back trails. Using extra caution when signs aren't present reduces the risk of being stranded as well.
When water levels flood roads and buildings sustain damage, SERVPRO is your choice for repair and mitigation.
Why SERVPRO?
Faster Response
Since we are locally owned and operated, we are able to respond quicker with the right resources, which is extremely important. A fast response lessens the damage, limits further damage, and reduces the restoration cost.
Resources to Handle Floods and Storms
When storms hit Seattle, we can scale our resources to handle a large storm or flooding disaster. We can access equipment and personnel from a network of 1,650 Franchises across the country and elite Disaster Recovery Teams that are strategically located throughout the United States.
Have Storm or Flood Damage? Call Us Today
When the Power is Out, the Generator should Stay Out as well
3/12/2018 (Permalink)
Always place your generator Outside of the home for safety
When the lights start to flicker one's first instinct is to grab the flashlights to be ready if the power goes out.
There is a large number of homeowners and businesses that own generators that can keep the vital systems in a building running.
The generators, which run on gas, exhaust fumes very similar to your automobile. Making sure these fumes don't come back into your home is extremely important.
Generators should be placed Outside in order to exhaust the fumes out into the open. Even putting the generator int he garage is not safe practice, the generator should be outside of the home and venting away from any fresh air inlet.
When the power goes off and your property sustains property damage, call SERVPRO to do your repairs and mitigate the damage.
Why SERVPRO?
Faster Response
Since we are locally owned and operated, we are able to respond quicker with the right resources, which is extremely important. A fast response lessens the damage, limits further damage, and reduces the restoration cost.
Resources to Handle Floods and Storms
When storms hit Seattle, we can scale our resources to handle a large storm or flooding disaster. We can access equipment and personnel from a network of 1,650 Franchises across the country and elite Disaster Recovery Teams that are strategically located throughout the United States.
Have Storm or Flood Damage? Call Us Today
Central Seattle Rains Bringing Storm Damage Pains? SERVPRO is Here to Help!
2/10/2017 (Permalink)
Don't let the weather get you down - SERVPRO of Central Seattle is ready!
The unpredictable weather of the last several weeks has brought about an incredible amount of inconveniences and headaches for many Central Seattle home owners and property managers alike.
The recent bouts of cold temperatures and snow, milder temperature and rain, and sporadic gusts have tested many of the neighborhoods and systems around the city, including backing up King County's West Point Treatment Plant to its maximum intake capacity and forcing the facility to temporarily bypass the excess into the Puget Sound.
Always Ready to Help
Because we are locally owned, we are ready and capable to respond at a moments notice. With 1650 franchises operating nationwide, SERVPRO of Central Seattle has access to equipment required to handle any issues a storm or flooding may bring.
Have Storm or Flood Damage? Call Us Today - (206)282-9500
24/7 Emergency Service