Category: Article

Owning a rental property can be a great investment for some homeowners but with all investments you have the weigh the risk. That is what should have been done with one of our recent water damage customers. As a landlord he rented his home to various families in the Charlotte area until he had issues with one of his tenants being late on the rent. Suddenly after advising the tenant she was late on the rent a mysterious flood occurred in his home causing thousands in dollars in water damage. We were able to provide the water restoration services for him to dry the home out but he will have to deal with the cost of water damage financially and emotionally for years to come.

In yesterdays post we discussed the effects of frozen pipes and the impact of a pipe burst due to freezing. When the weather man says let your pipes drip slowly this is a critical warning all should pay close attention to so water damage does not happen in their home. Even for the most cautious homeowner it can happen to anyone. Thou not as many as the north time and time again we get plenty of water damage calls in Charlotte during the winter for frozen pipes that ruptured and we are in the south.

Depending on what part of the country you live in during the winter one of the most common types of water damage is from pipes bursting after they freeze. The cause of a pipe burst is due to the expansion of water when it freezes. A way to explain this is similar to putting a full water bottle in the freezer after you take it out the water bottle is somewhat bigger because plastic in water bottles is more flexible then a pipe. The end result of water damage is typically found when the water in the pipe thaws leaving a need for water damage clean up.

After speaking with some of our past water damage customers in Charlotte NC one thing that they all had in common while going through the process of water restoration and clean-up is the feeling that their home is destroyed. This feeling definitely effected all due to the water but some because they did not understand the reason for demo. Even thou we always explain what we have to do I completely understand what they have been though because of as a homeowner and landlord I had to deal with extensive water damage on four separate occasions. The first instance I had to deal with left me with the same feelings some of our customers once felt. Fortunately, most people don’t have to go through multiple instances of water damage such as myself but as a Charlotte water restoration company that gives us the unique position to see things from the perspective of the homeowner and water mitigation company. With that said water damage is a very stressful event and no matter how you explain the process of how much detail you give there are times the customer will not understand. Our experience in water restoration says explain prior, during, and after the initial shock sets in and go’s away explain the process again. This will make the water damage clean up a less stressful process for the homeowner.

Water Damage and Safety how to take precautions

Water damage cleanup is such a common need for businesses and homeowners that the need for water restoration services even strikes those in the water mitigation industry personally. One of our lead water techs was washing cloths last night when during the drain spin cycle he heard a large noise coming from his pipes and suddenly heard water coming up from the tub and up from his toilet. All of a sudden he watched water rushing towards the hallway and jumped into action. Because of his experience by stopping the washing machine from draining and opening the clean out on the side of his house he was able to stop it before water damage can set in by making it retreat to the outside. After some investigation the following morning the reason water backed up into his home was because of tree root blockage in his mainline.

In our profession of water restoration and water damage clean up so often we are asked about 3 things on a regular basis. The first thing customer ask is if they can clean up the water damage there self or why does it cost so much for water damage repair and will they have to pay, the other question we often hear is could they just let water damage evaporate and dry naturally instead of calling a water restoration company?

As a water damage repair and restoration company in Charlotte one of the things we have to stress to customers is the potential for secondary damage and mold. This is because of our understanding of psychrometry which is basically the study of water and air pressure and humidity. As a water restoration technician we understand psychrometry the rules of psychrometry and know that even if you can’t see water or feel water it can still be present behind the walls, within materials, and in the air which can result in more damage to your property if not dried properly.

Response time to water restoration clean up calls is critical when considering the amount of water damage that is currently taking place and the amount that can be prevented which is called secondary damage. This is something that we had to address today with a call for a leak with water stains on her floor and under the sink. The customer ignored the issues for sometime and by not responding in a timely manner there is damage that could have been prevented.