How Do I Clean Up My Pompton Lakes Home Following a Flood?

7/12/2020 (Permalink)

Flood damage can quickly damage your home. You may need to get professionals involved to clean up the damage. Call SERVPRO right away.

When a Flood Inundated Your Pompton Lakes Home, You Need the Assistance of Trained Flood Water Removal Specialists to Clean It Up

Pompton Lakes offers the perfect balance of suburban and rural living.  It is in a picturesque part of northwestern New Jersey, surrounded by lakes, parks, and state forests.  The area’s many lakes offer residents of the township numerous recreational opportunities in the warmer months, but also increase local risks of storm-related flooding.  This threat is only magnified by the fact that, annually, the region suffers the effects of numerous powerful storms and has extended rainy periods.  Devastating hurricanes routinely rampage up the East Coast in the summer and fall, rapidly dropping inches of rain on the township.  The winter and spring months are no better, though, because nor’easters often bring with them torrential downpours that are just as bad.

What Can Be Done to Avoid Flood-Related Losses?

Although it may seem impossible to avoid or overcome flood damage, there are ways of doing it. SERVPRO, a local Pompton Lakes flood water removal service, recommends taking the following measures to limit your risks of flood-related problems:   

• Before leaving your home as a storm approaches, prevent potential explosions and electrocutions by turning off your gas and electric utilities
• Inspect your roof for damage and have any that you find repaired to prevent roof leaks
• Make sure your gutters are clean so that they do not trap water that can seep into walls and cause damage
• Cover windows and openings with plywood to protect against storm-blown projectiles and prevent water from entering your home
• Repair and seal any foundation damage, so that floodwaters cannot flow into your home through cracks
• Cut tree branches that could harm your house during a storm
• Strategically sandbag the perimeter of your property to keep flood waters out

Many times, if you take these actions before the arrival of a major flooding event, you can prevent a considerable amount of damage.  However, sometimes it is impossible to prevent flood damage, and that is when you need professional assistance.  Rest assured, though, that floodwater removal services like SERVPRO can help you overcome the disastrous effects of flooding.

How Does SERVPRO Remove Floodwaters from Homes?

Often, within a few hours of calling SERVPRO, our specialists arrive on-site to begin removing floodwaters from your home.  Using their advanced training and specialized gear, they:

• Remove standing waters with submersible pumps and commercial-strength extractors
• Determine a drying goal and establish a plan of action to achieve it
• Dry the general interiors of your house with high-velocity fans, air movers, and dehumidifiers
• Use injectidry systems, connected to air mover-dehumidifier networks, to eliminate moisture behind walls and ceilings
• Determine when the drying goal has been reached by periodically measuring interior moisture levels with moisture meters and thermohygrometers

These measures generally remove all excess moisture from your home, returning it to its original dry state.  However, there are other steps we take to combat the microbial threats present in floodwaters.

What Does SERVPRO Do to Eliminate Harmful Microbes?

Floodwaters, classified as “black water,” are usually contaminated with various harmful waste products like human and livestock feces, dead animal remains, and hazardous medical refuse.  As a result, these waters carry various harmful microorganisms that can cause negative health effects and further harm your house.  This is why it is necessary to have a properly credentialed and experienced service remediate this issue for you.  In order to neutralize microbial threats, SERVPRO technicians:

• Expertly remove and dispose of hazardous waste and impacted items
• Professionally clean and disinfect affected surfaces with EPA-approved disinfectants
• Pressure wash and treat impacted structural elements with antifungals to prevent future dry rot
• Further disinfect and deodorize your home with state-of-the-art thermal and ultra-low volume (ULV) foggers  

Usually, these efforts make your home safe to live in again and help prevent long-term flood-related damage.

Living in northwestern New Jersey gives you access to a diverse array of activities.  While you are not so far from the city, you still have access to the recreational opportunities afforded by your proximity to so many parklands and lakes.  Of course, life here is not all sunshine and rainless rainbows, as the area can be quite stormy and prone to flooding.  With this in mind, remember to always keep up on your home maintenance and to take preventative measures whenever powerful storms approach.  Also, it is advisable to research what local flood water removal and remediation services are available prior to severe weather.  This way, you should be better prepared if you are ever impacted by flooding. 

With all that said, know that if flooding does one day impact your residence, local help is available.  Call SERVPRO of Wayne at (973) 546-4977 for assistance. 

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