Mid-Atlantic Winter Storms Prompts Water Damage Prevention Tips
Mount Laurel, New Jersey (PRWEB) December 18, 2013 -- When water damage due to rainwater and snowmelt intrudes on a residential and commercial property, hiring a professional water damage restoration specialist is vital to ensure the structural safety of the affected property as well as the prevention of mold growth. Water intrusion can be avoided by following key prevention tips recently released by the National Weather Service in the article titled, “Preventing Water Damage.”
SI Restoration, an industry leader in the water damage restoration industry since 1989, offers an expert breakdown of each tip in order to help property owners detect potential hazards during an unexpected winter storm.
Rainwater and snowmelt usually intrude the home by coming right through the front door. Property owners should check for leakage around windows and doors. Roofing, foundations, exterior walls, and plumbing can all succumb to leakage as well, leaving the structural integrity of the building unsafe. Caulk and sealant can be used to rectify cracking, pealing, and unnecessary gaps.
Piping and drainage can also cause severe flood damage. When winter rains and snowmelt penetrate the interior and exterior of a property, home and business owners must check a number of safeguards to ensure flooding does not occur. Irrigation and drainage should be free of debris and clogs. Sump pumps in basements and crawl spaces should be fully operational and free of debris as well. Sump pumps generally run on electric power with a backup battery source. In the event a winter storm causes power failure, property owners should look into purchasing a generator as a failsafe.
Should water intrusion occur regardless of the safeguards in place, standing water should be removed by a certified professional immediately. Water not only causes significant structural damage and compromise, standing water can also cause severe mold infestation. Professional mold remediation is needed to eradicate mold from porous materials after just 48 hours of exposure.
According to the weather.com report, time is of the essence. “Fast action on your part will help minimize the time and expense for repairs, resulting in a faster recovery.” Boarding up doors and windows, applying polyurethane sheets to leaking roofs and foundations, and moving valuables to dryer ground are all recommended in weather.com’s report.
About SI Restoration:
For more than 22 years, SI Restoration has provided water damage, fire restoration, mold remediation/removal, hoarding cleanup, flood restoration repair, smoke damage and other restoration services. The company services commercial, industrial and residential customers with an IICRC certified staff. To learn more about SI Restoration, please visit si-restoration.com.
David DiLoreto, SI Restoration, http://www.si-restoration.com/, +1 (856) 437-6068, [email protected]
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