Suffered a Flood? Here’s What to Do | SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg

1/25/2024 (Permalink)

Has a recent flash flood taken your home by storm? SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg is here to help restore it. Call us now!

Flooding issues can pop up at any time in the Clay County area. Strong summer storms or hurricanes in the early fall can lead to heavy rain that quickly overwhelms our community. 

While it is not always possible to prevent flood damage, being prepared for the incoming weather can help you avoid some of the more costly damage and it can help keep your family safe. 

Take these steps below as soon as a flood watch or warning is issued, and call us right away if the resulting weather leaves your home soaked or flooded. 

Preparing With Safety in Mind 

Flash flood warnings can be issued at any moment, even if it is not actively raining yet. As soon as the alert is issued, start getting ready at your home. If you are out and about when the warning comes through, head for home quickly, being sure to avoid any roads that tend to flood when it rains and avoiding any low-lying areas. 

Once home, start tidying up your yard and bring anything that you can into your home and garage that you don’t want swept away in the water. Things that are too heavy to move, like your propane tanks, grills and patio furniture, should be tied down and secured. 

You should also get your car into the garage to protect it from significant damage. Close storm shutters, and pull any important documents or keepsakes out of the lowest level of our home. 

What to Do When the Inclement Weather Arrives

Stay inside and watch the conditions as they start to change and keep your weather radio on or stay connected to the authorities so you are always informed. If water does start rushing into your home, stay calm and stay above the water line. 

Eventually the water will stop rising and the storm will move on. Once it is safe to do so, walk carefully around your home. Wear sturdy waterproof boots if you must walk through any floodwater in your home. 

Start taking photos of any damage you see, both inside and outside your home. Your insurance company will want to see the damage firsthand, and we will be able to create our restoration plan based off of these images that you capture.

Drying Up the Water

Our first goal is to ensure your home is safe to work in, so we will assess the situation and create our flood restoration plan based on the amount of damage we see. We will get to work securing your home from the elements while also removing the standing water. 

Our team will get every bit of residual moisture because we know that even just a few leftover droplets can continue to cause damage and even mold growth. 

We will work on saving your possessions and drying out your soft and fragile materials. Our team operates on a “restore rather than replace” mentality, so we will do whatever we can to protect your belongings. 

Once everything is dry, we will address the necessary structural repairs and sanitize your entire space. Our flood restoration team is dedicated to helping you recover no matter how destructive your flood damage is.

Floodwater should always be cleaned up by professionals. Contact SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg today. 

Water Damage & Preventative Maintenance

10/18/2023 (Permalink)

Here to help 24/7/365

Water emergencies happen everyday and there are ways to prevent additional damage if this should occur in your home or business.

Always remember it’s important to stop the water as soon as possible. Turn off the water shut off when you notice a pipe has broken, even if you do not know where the water is coming from. Once the main water switch is off, the pipes will need to be drained. This is where you call a professional.

Once a plumber has located the broken pipe and inspected the damage, they will repair the pipe by either fixing a rupture or crack depending on the mending material that is chosen.

This is where you call us in to repair any water damage that has occurred during the unfortunate pipe burst. A lot of people ask when to call a plumber and when to call us. Once the pipe situation is secured, we can mitigate the water damage as soon as possible.

Here’s some additional ways you can prevent or avoid additional water damage in your home:

1. Disconnect your water hose during a freeze. Standing water in a hose may freeze back into the pipe and create an ice block that may bust your pipes and create damage to walls and floors. 
2. Check and maintain your appliances regularly for leaks.
3. Check your water pressure. If the pressure is too high, pipes and hoses may fail.
4. Make sure your gutters and downspouts are cleaned out.
5. Investigate leaks right away and fix immediately.
6. Know the location of your water main. If you leave your house for an extended amount of time, shut it off to avoid leaks while you are gone.
7. Monitor your water bill. Sometimes, the only way to realize you have a leak is by taking a good look at your water bill. If your usage jumps significantly from one month to the next without explanation, then you may have a leak somewhere. 

SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg is always here to help. Call us with any additional questions or concerns.

Contact us 24/7/365 at 904-861-8870

Are Your Floors Buckling?

6/22/2022 (Permalink)

Are Your Wood Floors Buckling? Call us for a Moisture Test!

"Some moisture-related problems are visible to the discerning eye. Primarily, wood flooring problems can occur when the wood expands and contracts. This “wood movement” occurs naturally according to seasonal shifts or when ambient RH levels change in the home. These changes can also present a less-than-desirable change in the appearance of your wood flooring."

If you begin to see signs of your floors shifting, there could be underlying moisture. Failure to act on this moisture could result in structural damage.

Water Damage Specialists

We are specialists in restoration of water damaged floors and are ready to restore your business or home back to pre-water damage condition. We quickly extract the water and then dry your property using state-of-the-art equipment. SERVPRO of North Clay County / Oakleaf / North Middleburg located in Orange Park, Florida uses moisture monitoring equipment to effectively measure and document the drying process to ensure your property is dry.

Our technicians are certified and trained and go to continuing education courses designed to keep us up to date on all new equipment and industry standard drying methods.

If you have any questions please feel free to call us at 904-861-8870 and we will be glad to provide a free assessment, moisture check, etc. or just answer your questions.  

What's under your floor? Do you know??

10/13/2021 (Permalink)

Is this underneath your home or business?

The reasons you might have standing water under your home include a clogged low-point drain, leaking pipes, cracks in the foundation of your home, issues with foundation vents, moisture from the ground, etc..   

Obviously this is not ideal.  

Water pooled at your foundation and collecting in your crawl space can be damaging. It can lead to structural and health effects if left neglected. The ground under your home can be compromised leading to settling. A building that has settled too much has creaks in the floors and sticky doors.

Most times, water in the crawl space gets there one of three ways: a plumbing leak, water seepage from the surrounding soil (usually after heavy rain), or condensation. (Humidity condenses on cold surfaces, like ducts, and drips onto the crawl space floor.)

Using fans in your crawl space drain system will help dry out the area thoroughly and quickly, and will help prevent the growth of mold. Afterward, be sure and have a dehumidifier in place to keep the area dry. Sandbags are also a great way to help dry out a basement that is below ground level.

If you notice any damage to your floor such as cupping or curling, discoloration, etc. please call us at 904-861-8870 (SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg) and we will be glad to assess the situation and advise you to the best of our ability.

Damaged Books from Flood or Fire?

9/1/2021 (Permalink)

Water Damaged books caused by a flood

Devastated over your water damaged Family Bible or important papers?

SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg can help! We can vacuum freeze-dry your special documents. You may want your damaged documents restored for sentimental or legal reasons. Often these documents are one-of-a-kind or are irreplaceable. These important papers include family bibles, personal/medical documents, government/business records, personnel files and blue prints.

SERVPRO Document Restoration Service use the process of sublimation. This process takes frozen documents through temperatures and pressures that turn moisture into vapor. The result is a dry document that can be restored or reused.

Water damage may occur when a home or business floods, water damage from another source or even water from extinguishing a fire. SERVPRO will help you decide which documents to save and which ones to discard. We will box up, freeze and ship your damaged papers with the care and security they deserve.

If you have questions about water damaged documents and how we can help, call us at (904)861-8870!

Commercial Flood Insurance: 3 Important Facts To Know

7/1/2021 (Permalink)

Flooded Building

Commercial Flood Insurance

Flooding may spring from a multitude of causes, including structural malfunctions (pipes bursting, waterlines leaking, etc.), storm surges, overflow of existing water bodies and more. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc, climate change has exacerbated weather conditions around the globe. Floods, which are common and potentially devastating natural disaster events in the U.S., are projected to increase in both frequency and severity as sea levels continue to rise and storms worsen. With this, there will be a correlating spike in the need for the services of a professional cleanup and restoration service in North Clay County - Orange Park, Fl, and other expert contractors. It is therefore important to consider commercial insurance, specifically flood insurance.

1. Flood Coverage Is Usually Not Included in Property Insurance
Many individuals fail to realize that most standard commercial property policies do not include commercial flood insurance. This means damage from flooding (water damage) is not covered.

2. If a Business Meets Certain Criteria, Flood Coverage Is Required
Businesses must have it if they are located in a high-risk flood area and possess a mortgage courtesy of a federally regulated lender. An insured lender may also force them to buy coverage. To find out if a building resides in a high-risk flood area, the owner can look at the FEMA flood maps through the organization's Flood Map Service Center online portal. Letters denote the hazard level, with high-risk zones starting with either "A" or "V," where "V" signals coastal areas.

3. Flood Coverage Is Available From the Government or Private Insurers
Some private companies offer commercial flood policies. The NFIP is another potential source of coverage. Managed by FEMA, it was established by Congress in 1968 and offers insurance to business owners among others. This coverage must be obtained through a professional insurer — a business owner cannot simply purchase it from the government.
With the growing weather and climate change threats on the horizon, proper commercial coverage is more important than ever. All structures are vulnerable to the ravages of flooding. Having flood insurance is a vital precautionary measure.

Moisture Meters

6/8/2021 (Permalink)

Proper Equipment Makes A Difference

Many times when a customer experiences water damage it can be hard to tell how bad the damage is just by looking around at the property. There can be underlying damage that is not visible to the eyes and this is where moisture meters come in to play. A restoration moisture meter or sensor measures the amount of moisture in an environment and in certain materials. Drywall, flooring and other structural components can be measured to assess the damage they may have incurred as well. These meters are very useful to put a number on the level of damage a property may have incurred.

There are a few different types of meters that all have a different pros and cons. Some jobs will only require the use of one but others will require more.

• Non-Penetrating Meters: These are one of the easiest meters to use and are a popular choice because they pose no risk of causing any damage to the flooring or structure. These have two flat sensors usually located at the bottom of the device and compare the amount of moisture located between them. They are best for quickly comparing levels between affected and unaffected areas.

• Penetrating Meters: These meters have a series of prongs that will penetrate the surface of a structure to take the moisture reading. These readings are much more accurate and are great for finding any trapped moisture on a site.

• Hydrosensors: These meters are a type of penetrating meters that are great for seeing how far moisture has traveled from the surface of the structure. These work best for carpet or carpet padding but do not work with drywall.

• Thermo-Hygrometers: mage restoration projects as they give you a good understanding of how big or small the job will be. Also it gives you readings to bring back to the customer and discuss the work that will need to be done in more detail. 

• Thermo-hygrometers measure temperature and relative humidity, which both will affect how drying equipment will function. These essentially test whether or not an environment can be efficiently dried with the tools that are at the teams disposal. The measurements these put out are helpful in determining if your dehumidifier is working properly.

These tools are very essential in water damage restoration and require training and knowledge to understand how they each work to reach drying goals in materials such as wood and drywall.  Call us at 904-861-8870 if you think you need a moisture test.

Cracking a water damage case

10/8/2020 (Permalink)

Cracked toilet bowl

When SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg receives a call about a water damage one of the first things we do is attempt to find the source of the damage if the homeowner is unsure where it is coming from.

This particular case was a very easy find. Our office received a call about a water damage in our local area and we sent a team out to assess the damage and begin to work on fixing the issue.

When we arrived we noticed that the toilet bowl in the second bathroom had a huge crack and water had gone into most of the house.

Over the course of a few days, our crew was able to remove the flooring in the effected area along with some of the kitchen cabinets and began the drying process.

If you have a similar situation, feel free to give us a call at 904-861-8870.

Six Reasons Why Your Roof Is Leaking

8/7/2020 (Permalink)

Leaking roof

The Dark Water Rises

6/18/2020 (Permalink)

flooded basement

Flooding is an overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Floods can happen during heavy rains, when the snow melts too fast, or when rivers overflow. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. Floods are the most common and widespread of all weather-related natural disasters.

How Does Rain Water Enter a Home?

Rainwater can seep into your home from cracks in your foundation – large or small, windows that are not sealed correctly and landscaping that is sloped toward the home.

Make sure all your concrete – driveways, sidewalks, patios and walkways slope either away from the house or into a drain. Check to make sure that rain gutters are clean and working properly to carry rainwater away from your home. It is important that downspouts drain at least 10 feet from the foundation of your house. Clogged gutters can also lead to water spilling over the top and that water can end up directly on the foundation of your house.

Keeping an eye on your home inside and out can help with noticing potential problems and could save you thousands in water damage remediation.

Flood Damage Can Be Fixed

It is important to recognize the signs of flooding so that the water can be extracted and any further damage can be prevented. Rainwater flooding that is not taken care of quickly and efficiently can cause black mold (this can form within two days after flooding occurs), furniture damage (moisture seeps into the furniture, which provides an ideal habitat for mildew, mold and fungi), and damage to the ceiling tiles, drywall, and flooring.

If you have any questions, feel free to give our office a call and SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/Middleburg will assist you in getting your home back to a point where it is "Like it never even happened."

Hard Water hurts

6/4/2020 (Permalink)

Busted pipe

What Is Hard Water?

Very simply put, hard water is water that contains a high concentration of certain minerals, namely calcium and magnesium. While hard water is safe for human consumption, it can leave unsightly, hard-to-clean spots on your fixtures. Even worse, over time hard water can leave deposits that can damage your pipes.  

How Does Hard Water Damage My Pipes?

Mineral deposits from hard water, also known as scale deposits, are often responsible for clogging pipes. When hard water is heated, a certain amount of water evaporates, causing the minerals suspended in it to precipitate. This solidified scale (or limescale) can then accumulate inside your pipes, water heater, washing machine and dishwasher. 

These accumulations can cause major troubles all throughout your plumbing system, from low water pressure to the failure of certain appliances. What’s more, some types of plumbing are more susceptible to hard water clogging than others. While copper, PVC and PEX pipes are more resistant to hard water buildup and corrosion, they can still get clogged or completely blocked by scale deposits.

What Are the Best Hard Water Solutions?

When it comes to preventing hard water damage, you have two main options: installing a water softener or a reverse osmosis water treatment system. 

A water softener is a tank situated between your water source (e.g., your municipal water supply's main line) and the internal plumbing that services your home. Inside this tank is an inorganic softening medium — a resin or crystalline substance — suspended in a saltwater solution. As water filters through the softener, the hard minerals in it literally swap places (on the molecular level) with the sodium in the medium itself via a process known as ion exchange. The result is that these minerals are effectively removed from the water before it reaches your appliances and faucets. 

In the reverse osmosis process, impurities are stripped from your water through a semipermeable membrane. This microscopic filter catches all manner of substances and not just "hard" minerals. In fact, the pitcher in your refrigerator may very well use this same technology to supply your family with clean, refreshing drinking water. Reverse osmosis systems are typically more expensive than water softeners. 

Need help for Water Damage Situations in Your Home

4/27/2020 (Permalink)

When you need help, call us! We are trained to help you in these situations.

Water can be damaging. It can permeate through solid materials like concrete or cinder blocks if given enough time and makes its way into any crack or crevice found on your property. It is thoughtless, unconcerned, or impartial to whether it does damage to your home. SERVPRO can help with water damage situations.

How a professional can help

A professional water damage restoration specialist in Orange Park, Florida can help you fight back against water issues plaguing your home.  With a variety of tools, experience, and training a quality technician can make the most of what your insurance company provides and work hard to produce the results you deserve. There is no reason for you to take problems like this on alone, in fact, it is likely better that you seek help from the start.

Types of water damage situations

SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg has technicians that respond to a variety of water intrusion situations, providing customers with a solution to each one in detail. During the winter months, you may have problems with frozen or broken pipes. When a pipe bursts, you can easily find your home filled with over 6-inches of water within minutes.
 
SERVPRO also responds to a variety of issues concerning washing machines or dishwashers. A malfunctioning appliance can flood your home within minutes, leaving little time to react. Causing serious damage to your flooring, furniture, and belongings, or even leading to additional hazards that make it hard to recover.

Water damage restoration at a glance

It takes industrial-grade water extraction equipment and infrared moisture detectors to get water out of every nook and cranny; it is just not enough to mop up and move on. Cleaning, deodorization, and sanitation technicians with the proper IICRC certification provide you with your best opportunity for recovery.
 
All you have to do is contact SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg located in Orange Park, Florida to receive professional quality help for all your water damage needs. We can help you recover from most of the problems that occur in your home, so call today (904) 861-8870. We are available 24 hours a day to assist you.

Knowing, Understanding & Who Can Help

2/17/2020 (Permalink)

Faster to YOUR disaster SERVPRO is here to help make sure your disaster seems "Like it never even happened."

Damage That Can Be Done..

No one likes to think about the possible ails of a disaster attacking your property. SERVPRO wants to help you become more knowledgeable. Understanding the extent of potential damage is key to taking the right steps in getting your property back to pre-damage condition!  SERVPRO of North Clay County/Oakleaf/North Middleburg is here to help.  Handling the west side of Orange Park as well, we are here to help when you need us!

Water Damage Timeline

Within Minutes

• Water quickly spreads throughout your property, saturating everything in its path.
• Water is absorbed into walls, floors, upholstery, and belongings.
• Furniture finishes may bleed, causing permanent staining on carpets.
• Photographs, books, and other paper goods start to swell and warp.

Hours 1 - 24:

• Drywall begins to swell and break down.
• Metal surfaces begin to tarnish.
• Furniture begins to swell and crack.
• Dyes and inks from cloth and paper goods spread and stain.
• A musty odor appears.

48 Hours to 1 Week:

• Mold and mildew may grow and spread.
• Doors, windows, and studs swell and warp.
• Metal begins to rust and corrode.
• Furniture warps and shows signs of mold.
• Paint begins to blister.
• Wood flooring swells and warps.
• Serious biohazard contamination is possible.

More Than 1 Week:

• Restoration time and cost increase dramatically; replacing contaminated materials and structural rebuilding may be extensive.
• Structural safety, mold growth, and biohazard contaminants pose serious risks to occupants.