Addressing Leaks When It Rains | SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton & Fayette

12/15/2023 (Permalink)

Don't let water damage ruin your home. Call SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton, & Fayette to restore your space!

Rain can pop up at any time in our community, and sometimes we can be grateful for it if we are in the middle of a drought or if our lawns are brown and dry. Other times, it can be really frustrating if we weren’t expecting the rain or if it accompanies a strong storm that causes damage to our homes. 

While we can’t always predict the weather and know what’s coming, we can be prepared for the different water damage possibilities if rain starts to leak in our homes. Check out our tips for avoiding rainwater leaks in your home during the next storm.

Address Home Maintenance
Storms can come in all different shapes and sizes throughout the year, so stay connected to our local forecast and start preparing as soon as one is predicted. Head outside and make sure to clear out your gutter system first and foremost. 

If your gutters are clogged, any rain that we do get will not be able to flow down and away from your home and will back up onto your roof. Over time, that pooling water can get under your shingles or into your attic through hairline gaps or cracks and will leak down your walls.

If your home is equipped with a sump pump, inspect it from time to time and consider having it professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year. It needs to be working reliably at any point if we are surprised by a storm. If you experience a sump pump failure during a rainstorm, it can make your water damage situation that much worse.  

Tend to Your Roof

Our roofs keep a literal roof over our heads when storms come to town, so they often experience the most frequent wear and tear throughout the year. A single strong storm can lead to serious damage, so checking it often can help alert you to a developing situation.

A single gap or broken shingle can invite water into your attic, which can then leak down your attic floor or walls and get into your living spaces. Find a ladder and get up onto your roof often and especially after a strong storm to evaluate your situation. You should also do this around your windows and doors to catch a leak at the source. 

Dry Out Your Home

Even if you prepare your home as best you can, water has a mind of its own and can cause serious damage without much warning. The best way to avoid long-term structural issues and mold infestations is to give us a call right away.

Our team will prioritize coming out to your home right away to start removing the excess water. We will extract the visible standing water but we will also make sure to remove the hidden moisture behind your walls and under your floors. 

Once your space is dry, we can get started on your repairs. Water is known to warp wood, ruin carpets and cause serious wall damage, so we will work hard on any repairs that you need to help you completely recover.

Call us as soon as you discover water damage. Contact SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton and Fayette today.

The Risk of Water Leaks From Appliances | SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton & Fayette

11/30/2023 (Permalink)

Find a leak in your home? Call SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton, and Fayette to get rid of lingering water damage!

We all rely on our appliances every day to help us accomplish tasks and—frankly—to get everyone fed, clothed and out of the house on time. We are so grateful for the advancements in technology to have things like dishwashers and washing machines in our homes to help us along the way!

While these appliances are an essential part of our daily lives, they can also create serious headaches from time to time if they leak. Water leaks are always frustrating and should be handled right away to prevent serious damage, but you have to know where to look for them.

The Effects of Leaking Water

Water leaks can happen at any point. They can occur if your dishwasher malfunctions, a water line gets clogged or your washing machine drain line becomes disconnected. While we can’t always predict when they will occur, you can check your appliances often for signs of any emerging issues. 

Run your hands along the underside of each appliance before you turn it on to check for drips or signs of moisture, and check underneath them regularly for any water spots or mold growth. Pull your appliances away from the wall often as well, as water leaks typically start in the back or underneath appliances. 

Once water has started leaking from your appliance, it can seep into every crack and crevice in your floors and can become virtually impossible to dry up on your own. 

What to Do First 

If you do discover moisture during a routine check or come home to a shockingly large puddle of water, try to stay calm and locate the connecting water valve. Depending on the appliance, this is usually in the back of the machine or is coming out of the cupboard underneath your sink. 

Once the water is turned off, consider either unplugging the appliance or shutting off electricity to the specific room for the time being. This helps keep you safe from the dangers of water and electricity mixing, but it can also prevent the machine from starting back up again unexpectedly and pouring the rest of the water in the pipes all over the place. 

Taking Care of Your Appliances

We can help you recover from water damage faster! Simply call us as soon as you discover the situation, and we will get started on removing excess water and addressing structural repairs. We will put your home back together in no time at all.

Once we have helped you recover, you should create a maintenance routine for each appliance that you follow carefully. Check your appliances often for signs of wear and tear and inspect water lines and seals. Repair any old caulk lines or replace connections as necessary. You should also try to replace aging appliances as you see fit, as older machines are often more unreliable and prone to creating disasters.

Has an appliance caused water damage at home? Contact SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton & Fayette right away.

NO WATER DAMAGE IS TOO BIG OR SMALL

7/22/2022 (Permalink)

Whether a flood or a leaky pipe, SERVPRO can help.

The first 24 hours following an incident are the most important in
preventing secondary or permanent damage. Within four hours of loss
notification, a SERVPRO Professional will be onsite to help ensure
water damage is handled by completing the following steps.

INSPECTION
We will inspect the affected area and determine the extent of the
water damage and will review the inspection with you to answer any of
your questions before beginning any work.

EMERGENCY SERVICES
We will take steps to help protect your home or business, as well as
your personal belongings to extract water and prepare drying and we
will explain things step by step.

MONITORING
To help ensure everything is drying appropriately we will monitor the
drying process. The updates will be consistently communicated to you.

RESTORATION SERVICES
SERVPRO Professionals will repair structural materials, reinstall
carpets, and clean affected areas of your property and belongings. We
will do a final walk-through of the jobsite with you to ensure the
property was returned to preloss condition.

Top reasons to choose SERVPRO:

*24/7/365 Emergency Service
*Over 2,000 Franchises 
*Restore vs. Replace
*Commercial and Residential
*Services very by location

Water Damage At Your Home

6/29/2022 (Permalink)

It is very stressful when your home and personal belongings are sitting in water.
It is always very important to know safety measures before you act to avoid personal harm to you and your family. You will need to
stop the source safely. Always make sure you do not step off into water not knowing if there is danger of electric shock. Make sure
circuit breakers for wet areas are turned off. Then, remove as much excess water as possible . Move as much of the wet furniture and
personal valuables you can to a dry area. If furniture is to heavy to move by yourself until help comes you can place aluminum foil or wood
blocks between furniture legs and wet carpet. SERVPRO has 24/7 service. We are always here for you.

"Like it never even happened."

Mold After A Water Damage? It's Possible.

2/1/2022 (Permalink)

Water Damage is common and at SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton and Fayette, we handle water damaged property pretty much every single day. 

One of the most common problems with a water damage is mold that can be lurking. It can be as simple as a roof leak or a leaking water line, that lead to other and much larger problems on the property.

At SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton and Fayette we know that immediate action is required to prevent mold growth so how can you do your part?

BE ALERT

• Be on the lookout for visible mold
• Strong must odors; this may indicate that mold is present
• Any evidence that past moisture that may have caused undetected mold growth
• Excessive humidity

Mold can cause health effects and can cause significant damage to your property. Every mold situation is different, at SERVPRO of Russellville, Hamilton and Fayette, we take the proper steps to make sure you receive quality service. 

Mold Keeps Coming Back! Why?

2/1/2022 (Permalink)

The quick, and accurate, answer to repeated microbial growth is water issues. Knowing this, doesn't always help you prevent further growth and contamination, especially after repeated growth in a certain area. 

The Reasons for the Return

Certain properties of mold can help you understand why it keeps coming back:

• Most molds aren't harmful. These organisms exist everywhere, inside and outside. Most of the time, molds aren't dangerous and are often helpful. However, certain types, such as black mold, can be unsightly and costly.
• Molds are fungi. They reproduce by spreading spores. To facilitate colony growth and the spread of spores, thread-like hyphae (branching filaments of mold) release enzymes and spores. If a hypha is detached from the rest of the colony, it can begin to take root and establish a new colony on a new surface.
• Mold is microscopic. This means it can get into places that you may not think possible. It also makes it very hard for you to clean mold completely with a spray solution and scrubbing. For example, you probably can't access both sides of the drywall, but when there's high humidity, this is an ideal location for mold growth.
• Mold grows quickly. Whether spores are carried into an area through the ductwork or hyphae have broken off and transferred to a new surface, it only takes 24 to 48 hours for a new colony to take hold.

Prevention and Remediation

The best route for water damage restoration is to work with a professional and prevent water damage. Inspect your property for any leaky pipes or faucets, install a dehumidifier, and keep the property well-ventilated. 

When you don't know what else to try, contact a professional. Our trained professionals can handle problems in inaccessible areas, locate areas of moisture you couldn't find, and provide education for further prevention of mold. 

Removing Water With Minor Disruptions

12/28/2021 (Permalink)

There are two rooms in a Russellville, Hamilton and Fayette home or business that is most likely to experience a water damage: the bathroom and the kitchen. Coincidentally, both of these rooms usually have cabinets and the same issues when the house needs water cleanup services.

When SERVPRO techs handle water removal in homes or businesses, the goal is always to limit disruptions to the home and get the job completed promptly, including leaving structural elements in place such as vanities and cabinets.

Tracking the water damage path within your property is a crucial part of limiting the number of items that require removal during water damage cleanup services. SERVPRO technicians use a myriad of devices and techniques to locate and remove the water in a home. Upon removing the toe kick at the bottom of a cabinet or vanity, the techs can use their detection equipment to determine the moisture level present and if seepage into the subfloor under the cabinet has occurred.

Examples of Water Removal Techniques

• Use of attachments on equipment to get under cabinets when possible
• Drilling weep holes to drain walls that have wicked moisture
• Use of controlled demo when needed to stop the deterioration of an entire wall or ceiling

Your Pipes Can Make Noises..What Do They Mean?

8/4/2021 (Permalink)

Part of avoiding a pipe break at your home or business may include knowing when your plumbing is making odd noises. Understanding these sounds can help you know what is normal for your home system, as well as which sounds can indicate the danger of a possible pipe burst.

Noises the Pipes May Make

Rattling

Humming

Gurgling

Hammering

Whistling

Each of these sounds is caused by a different aspect of your plumbing system or the water as it moves through the system, meaning that each sound will need to be analyzed and treated appropriately. It’s highly recommended that a professional be contacted if you have concerns about your plumbing.

What These Noises Mean

These noises may not always mean you are at risk for a pipe break. However, they may indicate possible problems that should be looked into. A rattling sound could indicate that a pipe has come loose from its wall fastenings. Gurgling often means that a drain is clogged and may need to be fixed before it causes a backup, while humming may mean that your water pressure is too high. Hammering occurs when the water flow is stopped suddenly forcing it back through the pipes. A whistling sound could be a valve that isn’t fully open.


If you hear these sounds in your plumbing system you may want to contact a plumbing professional to find the exact cause. They should be able to fix broken pipe issues while a restoration company can help with any flood cleanup and repairs to your home.