Whether it's a broken water pipe or heavy rains, water damage in your home or business is something that needs to be dealt with quickly and correctly. Improper or incomplete drying can result in a variety of unpleasant consequences, now and well into the future.
Mundae Cleaning & Restoration Services has the resources and experience to restore your home to its pre-loss condition. We are members of the Water Loss Institute and our procedures are in accordance with the IICRC S-500 Standards for Professional Water Damage Restoration.
Most water damage restoration projects fall into many different phases. Each phase addresses a specific need and usually must be completed before moving on to the next phase.
1ST PHASE - EMERGENCY SERVICE
In this phase we will try to prevent further damage to your structure and personal property.
Regardless of the final disposition of your carpet, the following steps need to be taken immediately:
Furniture and personal possessions must be moved from all affected areas and dried as needed. You may wish to do this yourself or we can work under your direction. If needed, we can pack, box and label your small possessions. Your possessions may be stored elsewhere on your premises or, if you wish, we can move them to our warehouse.
Water extraction from carpet and floors. We use powerful truck-mounted extraction units for most losses. It is important to remove as much excess water as possible to reduce the drying time.
Water soaked pad removal. In most cases it is not economical to dry and restore wet pad. Therefore, we will remove the damaged pad. Your carpet will be carefully disengaged from the tack strip and folded over to gain access to the pad. The sub-floor is also extracted during this phase. Your Crew Chief will inspect the carpet for water-related damage, pre-existing conditions, and overall condition. If your carpet is deemed "not economically restorable" we will recommend removal and replacement. We will preserve a small piece of carpet and pad to determine its replacement value.
Carpet backing and sub floor microbial treatment. The carpet backing and underlying sub floor will be sprayed with an EPA-approved antimicrobial. This will help prevent the development and growth of mold and mildew, as well as control malodors.
Initial decontamination and cleaning. In some cases, preliminary cleaning will be performed during this phase, as needed.
2ND PHASE - STRUCTURAL DRYING
Psychometric is the scientific term used to describe the affect of moisture within a dwelling. During normal conditions a balance of moisture exists among all structural elements and personal property. This balance is known as the moisture equilibrium. During a water damage, some surfaces will be saturated while others may be seemingly unaffected, which disrupts the moisture equilibrium. Almost immediately the unaffected surfaces begin absorbing moisture in an attempt to restore the equilibrium. If measures are not immediately initiated to control this situation, structural elements will begin to break down and mold spores will flourish.
Specialized drying equipment is used to restore the moisture equilibrium in a safe and controlled manner. Equipment, such as TurboDryers and Dehumidification units will be strategically placed throughout the affected area. TurboDryers may be placed under wet carpet, directed along wet surfaces or a combination thereof. TurboDryers circulate the wet air to large dehumidification units, which collect and remove moisture from the air and then return dry air to the atmosphere. Typical drying times average between three and five days, depending on many variables. To help speed the drying process, set your thermostat to 75-80°F and follow any special instructions from our Technicians.
Periodically throughout the drying phase we will monitor the effectiveness of the drying. Water collection tubs will be emptied, relative humidity and temperature readings will be recorded, moisture levels within the carpet and structure will be recorded and drying equipment will be checked for proper operation. Additionally, the drying equipment may be repositioned for more effectiveness, and equipment may be added or removed, as necessary.
3RD PHASE - STRUCTURAL RESTORATION
This phase commences upon completion of the drying phase, usually three to four days after the start of the job. This will give you time to meet with your insurance company and decide how you want us to proceed. We are happy to assist you with technical advice and testing when requested.
Sub floor repairs, as needed. Sometimes sub floor material will buckle or swell from the water damage. We will repair or replace permanently damaged sections of the floor, as necessary.
Re-installation of carpet and new pad. If the decision is to restore the carpet we will install new pad of equal or better quality and re-install the carpet.
Structural repairs, as needed. In some cases, certain structural elements must be removed and replaced. Common items include drywall, acoustical ceiling tile, paneling, etc.
4TH PHASE - FINAL CLEANING
AND DEODORIZATION
The final step of restoring your carpet is Fresh Water Rinse Extraction carpet cleaning and deodorization. If your insurance covers the loss it will usually pay for cleaning of the entire affected room or area. In some cases we will perform final cleaning and deodorization of other surfaces, such as, hard surface floors, walls, upholstery, etc.
Re-application of Carpet Protector If your carpet was treated with a soil resistant finish (most modern carpets are) we suggest re-applying the finish.
Carpet Cleaning
Whether it's a broken water pipe or heavy rains, water damage in your home or business is something that needs to be dealt with quickly and correctly. Improper or incomplete drying can result in a variety of unpleasant consequences, now and well into the future.
