Clear Lake Home Health: 6 Risks of Improper Storm Damage Restoration

3/15/2016 (Permalink)

SERVPRO's Professionals have the expertise and the resources to handle any size disaster and can respond immediately to storm and flooding conditions.

From time to time, Mother Nature takes its toll on the Houston area. Hurricanes, torrential downpours, tornados, and other significant weather events can cause significant water damage in Clear Lake and surrounding communities. While it may be tempting to jump start the restoration process, here are 6 risks you must be aware of:

1.      Injury.  Flood waters in our area carry bacteria and significant amounts of debris. Prior to starting the cleanup process, proper protective clothing, eye wear, and a tetanus shot are highly recommended. Exposed skin that comes in contact with flood waters can cause infections and illness. If the electricity has not been turned off by the utilities company, you are at risk of electrocution. In addition, if natural gas has not been turned off, dangerous fumes may be emitting from dryers, kitchen ranges, space heaters and water heaters. Proceed with extreme caution before entering your home.

2.      Wildlife Injuries. Wildlife gets caught up in the flood too, and waters often carry poisonous snakes, insects, and rodents. When the flood waters begin to recede, it is important to do a thorough investigation into closets, corners, behind furniture, duct work, attics, and crawl spaces where wildlife may be hiding. Bites from wild animals can lead to serious injuries.

3.      Asbestos Dangers. Removal of items with asbestos must be removed and disposed of properly. This is not something that should be attempted by homeowners. A professional flood damage restoration team in Clear Lake and surrounding areas is highly recommended. Asbestos is commonly found in homes with vinyl or linoleum floors and in some pre-1990 homes in drywall, ductwork, and insulation. If you have an older home, proceed with extreme caution.

4.      Bacteria. After a flood, every surface and item in the home must be properly disinfected. As mentioned above, flood waters carry harmful levels of bacteria. Without thorough disinfecting, items in your home may remain hazardous.

5.      Mold. Often, construction after a flood begins too soon. If the humidity levels in the home are not brought down to safe levels, and drywall or other structural elements are not thoroughly dried prior to restoration, mold will develop. The best course of action for mold prevention in Clear Lake is proper dehumidification with advanced drying equipment.

6.      Severe Stress. Not to be overlooked is the time, money, and stress of attempting water damage restoration yourself. Your locally owned SERVPRO of Clear Lake has undergone extensive training, and we have the experience, and tools necessary to bring your home back to pre-storm damage condition. We work directly with insurance companies to ease the process, and we stand at the ready to help our neighbors, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In Clear Lake, water damage, storm damage, sewage backups, fires, and mold remediation can all be handled by Houston SERVPRO. When disaster strikes, call us immediately. Our process begins the moment you call. Our team will them come and inspect and assess the property for damage, and begin the water removal, and drying and dehumidification process. Then, we move forward with the cleaning and repair, and lastly, we begin the restoration process when appropriate.

About The Clear Lake SERVPRO

SERVPRO of Clear Lake is Faster to Any Size Disaster, helping residential and commercial property owners when natural disasters, water damage, sewage backups, floods, fires, mold infestations, and other events happen.