Emergency Water Damage Services After Frozen Pipes
12/29/2017 (Permalink)
Emergency Water Damage Services After Frozen Pipes
It doesn’t happen often in Dallas, but severe cold weather is when our office receives a jump in calls from homeowners and businesses needing emergency water damage services.
The cause of the water damage is almost always the same -- a water pipe bursting after it freezes.
A water damage caused by a pipe bursting can cause damage to a property if it's not addressed quickly and correctly.
24 Hour Emergency Water Damage Remediation
Our office has a 24 hour emergency line to receive all requests for emergency water damage remediation. We can usually respond to all emergency water damage calls within 4 hours of a call, even in the middle of the night. If wintry weather conditions prevent us from meeting our 4 hour commitment, we will call to let you know. Our policy is never to promise a time that we cannot keep.
Don’t Wait for Water Cleanup Services
Secondary damage is the damage that is caused to your home or its contents when a water damage isn’t taken care of quickly. Some insurance policies may partially deny a water damage claim if they can prove a property owner purposefully ignores efforts to have their water damage taken care of in a timely manner.
Other reasons to call a water damage restoration company as soon as your loss occurs are:
Mold Growth
Mold problems begin about 48 hours after a water damage.
The Water Damage will Expand
The longer water is allowed to stand, the more it will soak into the materials it is touching. This causes the water damage to expand and makes it more difficult to control. Water extraction should happen as soon as possible.
Increased Water Damage Insurance Claim
The longer materials are wet, the lower the chance they can be saved. This will increase the price of your insurance claim.
Water Becomes Contaminated
Water becomes more contaminated the longer it sits. Even if the water damage comes from a clean source, like a water tub overflowing, if the water is allowed to sit, bacteria will be introduced. If we do not remove the water, it will cause the severity of your water damage to grow and the risk of having to permanently throw away contents and structure increases.
Secondary damage from water is often preventable if you act quickly. Secondary damages include floors buckling and water being absorbed by additional materials that may have initially resisted it, like walls and furniture.
Mold Problems
If your property isn’t properly dried after a water damage, then mold and mildew may start to grow in as little as 48 hours.
Mold is a naturally occurring fungus. It’s present in all kinds of environments, both indoors and outdoors. Mold spores are microscopic and spread through the air, which makes mold growth easy when its disturbed by air. The best environment for mold growth is a dark, warm, and humid room. We often see the need for mold remediation in rooms where a source of water is introduced, like a frozen pipe bursting.
Our mold remediation specialists will inspect and dry wet areas. The area around the frozen pipe will also be inspected and dried properly. Many mold removal jobs we are called to do are due to slow leaking pipes that the homeowner, unfortunately, didn’t know about until the mold had eaten through their drywall and spread to other rooms of their house. Since we will need to cut through the drywall to reach the pipe, we will take advantage of this situation and perform a mold inspection to make sure mold growth is not a problem.
If the pipe is hidden behind drywall, rest assured that our reconstruction team is capable of replacing it after the pipe has been fixed.
Winter Water Damage Prevention
The best way to prevent water damages is to be proactive in its prevention. While it’s not always possible to prevent a disaster, the severity of the water damage is often lessened when homeowners are prepared.
What’s the weather forecast?
Keep an eye on the weather and prepare if below freezing temperatures are on the forecast. Be especially vigilant for winter weather storms.
Winter Storm Watch
A watch means the conditions are good for a winter storm to occur, but we’re not sure if one will happen or not.
Winter Weather Advisory
This refers to a storm that will produce 3-5” of snow in less than 12 hours, sleet, freezing rain.
Freezing Rain Advisory
A freezing rain advisory means there will be ice accumulation of less than .25 of an inch.
Winter Storm Warning
A winter storm warning means there will be more than 6” of snow in less than 6 hours, more than 8” in less than 24 hours, or more than half an inch of sleet.
Ice Storm Warning
An ice storm warning means there will be more than .25 of an inch of ice accumulation.
Trusted Leader in Water Damage Restoration in Collin County, North Texas
SERVPRO of Richardson is a water damage restoration and fire and smoke damage restoration company on the border of Richardson and Plano Texas. We have performed work in Dallas, Plano, Grapevine, McKinney, Frisco, Allen, and other North Texas communities in Collin County for over 30 years. With our crews responding immediately to jobs, we are faster to any size disaster. We also have a Texas Mold Remediation Contractor License and offer free mold inspections. You can trust us to restore your home or business.
Our crews are available dispatch for 24 hour emergencies every day of the year. We can be reached 24/7 at (972) 690-1414. Call us any time!
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