When Water Soaks Your Oxnard Home, Make the Call to SERVPRO for Great Results

4/3/2019 (Permalink)

Water Removal Help Needed for this Oxnard Family--A Good Thing They Called SERVPRO

How SERVPRO Handles Common Water Damage Issues in Oxnard

Coming home to the aftermath of a broken pipe or appliance failure can seem overwhelming. It is hard to believe that much water can invade a space so quickly and water damage in your Oxnard home or business can get worse the longer the excess moisture remains. No matter if it is a localized watery mess in your kitchen or utility room or a major flood from a plumbing disaster, SERVPRO of Oxnard has the equipment and expertise to handle it.

Since water damage can occur at any time to an Oxnard property, SERVPRO of Oxnard technicians are available 24-hours a day. When you contact our emergency response team, they arrive on-site within hours to begin the clean up for your property. We find out as much as we can regarding the situation in your property, so we arrive with the right equipment configuration in our green service vehicles. Once we arrive, a technician goes over the job process with the property owner, with excellent communication, everyone is on the same page for how our remediation process works.

What are Some Types of Water Damage?

SERVPRO of Oxnard sees two common types of water loss in Oxnard homes from a category one (clean) water spill, and both usually appear together. The first type is visually apparent, where there are wet surfaces, flooring, and contents, and this is one of the first tasks, extracting any standing water. We use all types of equipment from basic squeegees and mops to portable and truck mounted extractors. Depending on the size of the water to be cleaned, we have the equipment to meet the challenge.

The second type has the potential to be even more damaging to a structure and possessions as it is the moisture that cannot be seen with the naked eye as voids behind walls and ceilings, under flooring and in carpet padding for just a few examples. This can lead to mold issues, rotted drywall or wood, and foul odors. Additionally, incomplete drying of flooring can lead to a weakening of the integrity of the subfloor and soft spots that may potentially cause safety issues. Get it dry quickly with SERVPRO of Oxnard, We're Faster To Any SIze Disaster.

How is Moisture Detected in the Structure or Items?

Our IICRC-certified SERVPRO of Oxnard technicians have different types of equipment to detect hidden moisture. We have specialized moisture sensors to use around baseboards and walls, and probes for soft surfaces such as carpet and padding. Thermal imaging is also useful for finding pockets of moisture inside wall cavities. SERVPRO techs map out all areas the water has affected using these devices. We carefully address each area and get it ready before the drying phase begins. For example, weep holes may be drilled into sagging ceilings or drywall to allow for drainage and air flow. Furniture that is retaining moisture may be placed on blocks to be dried or relocated to a dry area of the structure.

The setup for drying is exact and detailed. Our technicians check and double check readings to ensure they have the right determination for temperature, humidity and other factors that can affect the drying of the structure and contents. When determining a baseline for dryness, there is no set single reading for all jobs. SERVPRO technicians take readings from unaffected areas of the home to determine the appropriate level of dryness for the water damaged area of the property.

Drying Equipment is More Than Big Fans

There is a science to the setup of the air moving equipment SERVPRO uses. Our technicians map out the air flow in the water loss area to determine the best angles to set up the fans to cause the moisture to rise. The dehumidification equipment effectively captures the moisture and eliminates it by pulling in the moist air and discharging warm, dry air. The dry air, in turn, absorbs moisture from wet objects in the area and the cycle continues. This is how we can dry both structure and affected furnishings in the same room. We try to disrupt the property as little as possible during remediation, and our goal is always to restore rather than replace, saving property owners money whenever we can.

We also have specialized dehumidifiers when the dewpoint is too low in Oxnard to use a standard unit. Desiccant dehumidifiers work by using chemical attraction instead of the usual method of condensation to remove water vapor from the air.  Silicate gels are often the chemical of choice for these devices. This type of equipment produces one of the lowest vapor pressures, and they are ideal to use when drying is needed in dense building materials such as plaster over lath and in some cases, hardwood flooring.

Cleaning to Sanitary Standards

After the drying phase of water damage restoration is complete. SERVPRO technicians verify the moisture levels in all affected areas of the Oxnard residence to ensure the water content levels are at the established baseline. Technicians then wipe down the surfaces including walls and ceilings with our high-grade antifungal solutions to clean, disinfect and inhibit mold growth.

Both sides of the carpeting are routinely treated with an EPA-registered disinfectant after extraction. If needed, ULV fogging is used to neutralize residual odors on a case by case basis. Upholstery is often treated with an antifungal to discourage mildew after complete drying. Thorough drying and sanitizing is often enough to eliminate residual odors, if any remain behind, our Odor Control Technicians have several different methods of eliminating unpleasant odors.

Once the job is complete, a SERVPRO technician performs a walk through with the property owner to ensure that all established remediation points have been handled and a quality cleanup and restoration job have been done to the satisfaction of our customer.

SERVPRO of Oxnard has the expertise and resources to combat water damage in your home or commercial property. We are proud to serve the Oxnard, California area including the areas of 93030, 93033, and 93036. We are available 24/7, and the process starts as soon as you call our emergency response team.