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Case study: Flood Drying in Devon

How our experts dealt with flooding in a bungalow due to a burst pipe. 

When it comes to flooded properties, we often assume the cause is sudden and heavy rainfall. However, a common cause of flooding is a burst pipe or leak. Leaked water can cause extensive property damage and requires expert and prompt remedial care.

ServiceMaster’s technicians are trained to deal with flood water and have specialist water-drying equipment. This recent case study from ServiceMaster Restore Devon provides insight into our process and the benefits of using our services to deal with the aftermath of a leak or flood.

What was the problem?

We attended a semi-detached bungalow that suffered a water escape during the night due to a burst pipe. Our client was unaware of the situation until she woke to find water had saturated the floors (concrete with laminate wood-effect flooring) in several rooms—the bedroom, conservatory, and kitchen.

Solution

Our step-by-step process to remediate the damage was as follows:

  • We drilled small holes in the floors to access the concrete below with our moisture probes. This investigation confirmed water moisture equivalent (WME) readings of 100% (saturated).
  • We removed the laminate floor to expose the sub-concrete floor below.
  • After carefully removing the furniture to a safe space, we installed a tented drying system in each room to only localise the drying to the floor, as other areas were unaffected.
  • We used a combination of refrigerant dehumidifiers to reduce humidity in the room and desiccant dehumidifiers to blow warm, dry air into the polythene tents. Using both types of humidifiers together creates a very dry atmosphere, accelerating moisture evaporation in a targeted way.
  • We installed humidity sleeves into the concrete and completed weekly visits to check the equipment, take moisture readings, and monitor the overall drying progress.
  • At our weekly visits, we adjusted the tenting to ensure the drying system continued to operate at optimum levels.flood-drying-devon

Outcome

Our swift intervention prevented further damage to the property and ensured our client could reinstate her home in the least amount of time possible. It took approximately six weeks to dry the floors completely.

Upon completion, we issued a certificate of dryness and a final report with all the key information for the homeowner’s records.

Need us?

For swift restoration following a flood or water leak, contact the ServiceMaster Restore Devon team on 01803 200 278 or email office@smcdevon.co.uk

For residential or commercial carpet, rug, upholstery or hard floor cleaning, visit our ServiceMaster Clean website.

Or nationwide, find your nearest ServiceMaster Restore business to see how we can help you today.

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What to do if your home is flooded

Unfortunately, summer is already a distant memory, and we’re facing the wettest months of the year. As we move into autumn and winter, many of our homes may be at risk of flooding. If you find yourself having to deal with this catastrophic event, it’s essential to act quickly to minimise the impact.

Here’s a step-by-step guide from ServiceMaster Restore Devon on what to do if your home is flooded.

Stay Safe

  • Evacuate if necessary and check with the emergency services before returning to your property.
  • Turn off the electricity and gas.
  • Avoid contact with the flood water, which may be contaminated. Wash your hands thoroughly if you touch the water.
  • Wear gloves, a face mask and sturdy footwear when cleaning your home.
  • Keep young children, pets, and vulnerable people away from flooded areas.

Report

  • Contact your insurance company immediately to notify them and begin a claim.
  • Document any damage and take photos and videos to provide evidence.
  • Make an inventory of damaged items.

Clean up

  • Remove standing water with pumps or buckets.
  • Clean and disinfect all areas that have come into contact with the water.
  • Open doors and windows to help ventilate and dry out the area.
  • Remove and dispose of saturated carpets, rugs, upholstery and soft furnishings.
  • Relocate undamaged furniture to a dry area.
  • Use dehumidifiers and fans to help dry out the area.

What next?

Your insurance company will arrange for someone to visit your property to assess the damage. They should then appoint property-drying professionals to help dry your home.

Our cleaning and disaster restoration team is BDMA-trained and accredited to handle flood damage restoration, building drying and dehumidification. We also offer residential and commercial carpet, rug, upholstery and hard floor cleaning by ServiceMaster Clean.

If you would like further advice or help to deal with the aftermath of a flood, please contact ServiceMaster Restore Devon on 01803 200 278 or email office@smcdevon.co.uk

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Flood Drying in Devon

Autumn is now here, so we can expect more rainfall over the coming months and the potential for leaks and flooding. Unfortunately, floodwater can cause extensive property damage, so quick action is essential to minimise the impact. We offer specialised flood and water drying services (as well as residential and commercial carpet, upholstery, rug and hard floor cleaning services) to reduce possible damage and help restore your property swiftly. Here’s a summary of how we can help.

Why ServiceMaster Restore?

ServiceMaster is one of the longest-established disaster restoration companies in the UK and a founding member of the British Damage Management Association (BDMA). We know how to deal with water damage, and our experienced technicians use specialist equipment to restore flooded properties with minimal disruption and delay. We can handle any level of water damage, from minor leaks to severe flooding.

Our Flood drying & restoration process

We begin by assessing the extent of water damage. This process includes identifying the affected areas, determining the type of water (clean, grey, or black), and evaluating the severity of the damage. We use moisture detection tools to map out the areas with elevated moisture levels, even those not immediately visible. This helps us effectively target the drying process.

If standing water remains, we remove it using powerful pumps and industrial-grade wet vacuums. This step is crucial as it prevents further water saturation. If necessary, we’ll remove and dispose of fixtures and fittings if their presence will hinder the drying process. Depending on the type of water, we’ll then sanitise the area to make it safe.

With all standing water removed and the area sanitised, we can begin the drying process.

The process we follow and the equipment we use will depend on the nature of the site and the flood situation. We use industrial-grade dehumidifiers to extract moisture from the air and reduce humidity levels. For trapped moisture in walls and floors, we use injection and tented drying.

Throughout the drying process, we monitor the moisture levels to ensure the drying process is effective and adjust the equipment and techniques as necessary.

Once complete, we issue a dry certificate and a final report with all the key information for the property owner and insurer’s records.

Need our help?

Using ServiceMaster Restore for flood restoration and drying will minimise the damage to your property and mean you can begin reinstating it as soon as possible.

For swift restoration following a flood or water leak, contact the ServiceMaster Restore Devon team on 01803 200 278 or email office@smcdevon.co.uk

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Drive Out Hazardous Waste from Your Property in Three Easy Steps

How to remove hazardous waste from your premises.

As the private landlord of a residential tenanted building or the manager of a housing association, there may be occasions where you have to deal with hazardous waste that previous occupants have left on your property.

This is naturally not an ideal situation for you.

Particularly as you may not know what to do next.

Thankfully, at ServiceMaster Restore, we do.

As experts in damage restoration, we know how to safely dispose of dangerous materials and restore your premises to their original condition.

Chiefly, all hazardous waste should be handled cautiously and disposed of quickly, as they can be dangerous for your health.

So, if a tenant has moved out and left hazardous waste, how should you deal with it?

Types of hazardous waste

Hazardous waste covers a wide range of unpleasant substances.

The types of hazardous waste we’ve come across in vacant residential properties include:

  • Drug paraphernalia, such as needles and syringes (sharps)
  • Human and animal waste
  • Bodily fluids
  • Rotten food

  1. Carry out a risk assessment

Before beginning any clean-up, undertaking a risk assessment is necessary to determine the type of waste and how to dispose of it.

Removing hazardous waste will require the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) and the proper biohazard cleaning and sharps removal equipment.

  1. Clear and clean the property

The first step must be to sanitise and clear the property of all waste.

Then the property will require a deep clean to prepare for the next occupant.

  1. Use a professional restoration and cleaning service

Given the health risk and specialist nature of waste clearance cleaning, we recommend using a professional restoration and void cleaning company like your local ServiceMaster Restore.

They will have the skills and the equipment to remedy the waste effectively and safely.

The sooner your property is restored, the sooner you can leave it to new tenants.

At ServiceMaster Restore, we provide restoration and waste removal services to housing associations, private landlords, and environmental health departments.

Our teams are fully trained in all aspects of hazardous and biohazardous waste removal, including the safe collection and disposal of used needles and sharps.

We can also remove fridges, freezers and mattresses requiring unique disposal.

With the waste cleared, we carry out a deep clean and decontamination.

We can also provide fogging, where very fine droplets of disinfectant are sprayed throughout a room to disinfect it thoroughly, or Ozone treatment, which removes unwanted odour and kills mould, vermin and microorganisms.

Contact ServiceMaster Restore

If your property has suffered damage from hazardous waste, contact your local experts at ServiceMaster Restore to help with the clean-up.

With fast response times to callouts in emergencies and preventative solutions to mitigate the reoccurrence of issues, whatever the damage, we will be there for the aftermath.

In an emergency, call 0845 762 6828 or find your nearest ServiceMaster Restore business to see how your local experts can help.