Archived Storm Damage Blog Posts
Navigating the Aftermath of Storm Damage | SERVPRO of Kent
6/22/2024 (Permalink)
Are you left with the aftermath of storm damage to your home? Call SERVPRO of Kent today. We are here to restore quickly!
We have all seen coverage of towns after a storm rips through the area, and it can be really overwhelming and emotional to see all of the damage left behind as a result of rain, wind and other storm elements.
Storm damage can happen to anyone at any time, so knowing what to do after the storm passes is essential to your safety. Follow the tips below to stay safe and to ensure you make a full recovery.
When the Storm Passes
You have done all you could and are currently hunkered down safely in your safe shelter location in your home. The wind is slowly dying down, it’s not raining as hard and the weather alert has finally expired.
While that might signal the “all clear” to get up and check out your home, be cautious! Check the radar or tune into your weather radio to make sure another round of storms isn’t on the way.
If it is safe to get up and investigate your home, bring your phone with you just in case you run into any trouble. Walk slowly and carefully, as broken glass, bent nails or shattered floorboards can be really dangerous.
Now is also the time to call any family members who were not home when the storm passed through and send someone to go check on your neighbors. Storms impact homes differently, even if they are just across the street from you. Once you have deemed everyone safe and no emergency services are required, call up SERVPRO of Kent.
What Our Storm Restoration Looks Like
Recovering quickly after suffering storm damage is vital. In many circumstances, storm damage can make your home more vulnerable to further damage if there are holes or structural issues anywhere in your home.
Our team will arrive quickly to get started on your restoration. In the meantime, take pictures of the damage so you can use those images in your storm damage insurance claim.
We can be at your home quickly, but sometimes it is necessary for you to take preventive steps while you wait for us to arrive. If it is still raining or drizzling but you have a broken window or a tree fell on your house and your living room is now exposed to the elements, quickly secure tarps or boards. This isn’t a permanent fix, but it can help protect your possessions from further damage. You can also start the process of pulling your belongings out of the affected area.
Our team will get right to work professionally securing your home, and then we will turn our attention to your damaged floors, roof and walls. We will remove standing water, dry out your home and tackle any repairs with confidence. Let us help you put your home back together faster.
Don’t wait to recover from storm damage! Call SERVPRO of Kent for quick assistance.
3 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Stormy Weather
10/19/2023 (Permalink)
Stormy weather can bring heavy rain, strong winds, and potential damage to your home.
Stormy weather can bring heavy rain, strong winds, and potential damage to your home. While you can't control the weather, you can take steps to prepare your home to withstand the elements. With the right precautions in place, you can minimize the risk of damage and ensure your family's safety during stormy weather. Here are three essential ways to prepare your home for stormy weather.
Reinforce Your Home's Structure
The first step in preparing your home for stormy weather is to ensure its structural integrity. This will not only protect your property but also safeguard your family. Here are some ways to reinforce your home:
a. Roof Inspection and Maintenance: The roof is one of the most vulnerable parts of your home during a storm. Inspect it for loose or damaged shingles and make necessary repairs. Consider reinforcing your roof with hurricane straps or clips to prevent it from being blown off in high winds.
b. Secure Windows and Doors: Install storm shutters or impact-resistant windows to protect against flying debris. Reinforce garage doors to prevent them from collapsing in high winds. Properly sealing windows and doors can also prevent water from entering your home.
c. Maintain Your Foundation: Ensure that your foundation is in good condition by addressing any cracks or weaknesses. Consider elevating your home if you live in a flood-prone area.
Create an Emergency Kit
Having a well-prepared emergency kit can be a lifesaver during stormy weather. Make sure your kit includes essential items such as:
a. Non-perishable Food and Water: Stock up on canned food, energy bars, and bottled water to sustain your family in case of power outages or disruptions in the water supply.
b. First Aid Supplies: Include a well-stocked first aid kit with essential supplies like bandages, antiseptic, prescription medications, and any necessary medical equipment.
c. Flashlights and Batteries: Power outages are common during storms, so having a supply of flashlights and spare batteries is crucial.
d. Portable Phone Charger: Keep your devices charged with a portable charger to stay connected and receive important updates.
e. Important Documents: Store important documents, such as passports, insurance policies, and medical records, in a waterproof container.
Landscape and Yard Preparation
Your home's surroundings can either protect it or make it more vulnerable to storm damage. Here are some tips for preparing your yard and landscape:
a. Trim Trees and Shrubs: Prune branches and remove dead or overhanging limbs that could fall onto your home during strong winds. Keeping trees well-maintained reduces the risk of damage.
b. Secure Outdoor Furniture and Objects: Patio furniture, garden tools, and other outdoor items can become projectiles in high winds. Store or secure them before a storm arrives.
c. Clean Gutters and Downspouts: Make sure your gutters and downspouts are clear of debris, so water can flow freely. This prevents water from backing up and causing damage to your roof or foundation.
Preparation is key to protecting your home and loved ones from stormy weather. By reinforcing your home's structure, creating an emergency kit, and tending to your landscape and yard, you can significantly reduce the risk of damage and improve your family's safety during adverse weather conditions. Remember that planning and preparation can make all the difference when the skies turn dark and storm clouds gather. Stay safe and be ready for whatever Mother Nature sends your way.
Weathering the Seasons in Kent, Washington: How SERVPRO® Can Safeguard Your Property
9/20/2023 (Permalink)
Winter and Fall in the Pacific Northwest can bring cold, rainy, and even occasionally snowy conditions to Kent, Washington.
Kent, Washington, boasts beautiful scenery and a temperate climate, but when fall and winter roll in, they bring a range of weather conditions that can test the resilience of homes and businesses. From heavy rainfall to occasional snowfall, Kent experiences diverse weather patterns during these seasons. Let's explore the types of weather you can expect in Kent during the fall and winter months and how SERVPRO® is here to assist homeowners and business owners with storm damage and board-up needs.
Fall Weather in Kent
Fall in Kent is a transitional period, with temperatures gradually cooling down from the summer highs. Here are some of the weather conditions you can expect:
Rain: Fall is known for its frequent rain showers in Kent. These rains can be heavy, leading to potential flooding, especially in low-lying areas.
Windy Days: The fall season can also bring gusty winds, which can lead to fallen branches, downed power lines, and damage to roofing and siding.
Winter Weather in Kent
When winter arrives, Kent faces a different set of weather challenges:
Rain and Snow: Winter in Kent is characterized by a mix of rain and occasional snowfall. While snowfall is usually light and infrequent, it can create slippery road conditions and pose potential hazards.
Freezing Temperatures: Overnight temperatures in Kent can dip below freezing, leading to icy patches on roads and sidewalks.
Windstorms: The Pacific Northwest is known for its occasional windstorms during the winter months. These storms can cause significant damage to trees, power lines, and buildings.
How SERVPRO Can Help
When Kent homeowners and business owners face storm damage during the fall and winter seasons, SERVPRO is here to provide assistance:
Storm Damage Restoration: Our team of professionals is equipped to handle storm damage restoration, including water removal, structural drying, and repair of any damage caused by severe weather conditions.
Board-Up Services: In the event of broken windows, damaged doors, or other vulnerabilities to your property, SERVPRO offers board-up services to secure your home or business and prevent further damage or intrusion.
Emergency Response: SERVPRO is available 24/7 to respond to storm damage emergencies promptly. We understand that quick action is essential to minimize damage and protect your property.
Kent, Washington, experiences a range of weather conditions during the fall and winter months, from heavy rains to occasional snowfall and windstorms. When these weather events result in storm damage, SERVPRO is your trusted partner for storm damage restoration and board-up services. We're dedicated to helping Kent homeowners and business owners weather the seasons with confidence, knowing that we're here to provide support and solutions when you need them most. Stay safe and secure, Kent!
Proven Tips to Flood Damage Remediation Success in Kent
8/27/2022 (Permalink)
Flooding in your basement can cause a lot more damage than you’d think. Our certified technicians are here to help. We are standing by 24/7.
Common Issues With Flood Damage Cleanup in Kent Basements
Flood damage has the potential to occur in nearly any room in a home. Basements and crawl spaces are particularly susceptible to this type of water loss.
The cleanup of flood damage in a Kent basement is more than just mopping up water and turning on fans to dry the premises. SERVPRO technicians are restoring as they clean to ensure the least amount of loss for the structure and contents.
Water Removal Issues
Elements such as silt, debris, solid waste, and mud commonly appear with floodwater. The techs need to use hand tools such as rakes and shovels to get rid of the solids in the water to expose the substrate of the basement floor for further scoping and mitigation. When there is a large amount of debris mixed in the water over a full scale in the home, the techs rely on trash pumps to pull out the water and solids quickly. In cases where the water in the basement is higher than two inches in depth, submersible pumps get deployed for removal efforts.
Treatment of Contaminated Water
For safety reasons, the SERVPRO techs use personal protection gear while cleaning up floodwater, including respirators. It is a common practice to treat the water they are working on with a disinfectant before removal to increase the protection from resident biological agents.
Special Considerations for Basements
The technicians are extra careful during the mitigation of flood loss to a basement. When prolonged exposure to water occurs, the removal of the water inside the basement when the soil outside the basement walls has high saturation levels can lead to a collapse of the interior walls due to hydrostatic pressure. This attention to detail is why the techs survey both the interior and exterior of the home to ensure it is safe to go forward with water removal and drying of the property.
Significant Repairs Do Not Have to Be Stressful
When the exterior or interior of a basement has flood loss, the controlled demo actions to save as much of the structure as possible may be many. The cut-out sheetrock, repairs to the exterior, including painting and installation of flooring as needed. With their general contractor license #SERVPCS911LE, the techs can offer this service to homeowners to return their homes to preloss condition.
When flood damage is the problem in your home, call SERVPRO of Kent at (253) 850-1500. The emergency response teams are available 24/7 to make the water loss to the property, "Like it never even happened."
Removing Floodwater from Carpeting in Kent Homes
7/31/2022 (Permalink)
If your home floods don’t hesitate to call SERVPRO. Our technicians are ready to help 24/7 and make your home look “Like it never even happened”.
Protecting Flooring Can Be a Challenge for Mitigators After Flooding
Flooding is a rapidly developing situation that threatens many Kent homes every year. As storm damage restoration specialists, we have a team devoted to responding quickly to these emergencies to provide efficient water removal and cleanup solutions. When flooding occurs in a home, protecting installed elements requires immediate water removal efforts.
Carpet Extraction Solutions
With carpeting being a typical installation in homes, it is natural that flood damage in Kent properties impacts these materials often. While there are multiple solutions for surface water concerns like pooling, including both wet vacuums and submersible pumps, eliminating trapped moisture in flooring materials becomes a more intricate process. To accomplish this, we must utilize special extraction tools in our recovery inventory, including:
- Carpet wands
- Weighted extractors
- Light wands
- Ride-on extraction units
Overcoming flood loss in your home requires multiple mitigation actions taken immediately by our experienced SERVPRO of Kent team. Let us help make flood losses “Like it never even happened,” when you call (253) 850-1500.
Efficient Flood Damage Cleaning After Kent Storms
6/24/2022 (Permalink)
Flooded home in Kent? Call SERVPRO--Here to Help!
Storm Flooding Extraction and Drying with SERVPRO in Kent
It might seem apocalyptical if you have flooding issues in your Kent home after a heavy storm front rolls through the area. But normalcy can return with professional help. SERVPRO’s advice for area homeowners is not to panic. Once you make a call to our customer care team, we can mobilize our disaster response team to your door within hours to get started.
How to handle drying and flood damage in Kent depends on several factors. These are some things to remember despite the worry and trauma of having your home turned upside down:
- Some homeowners mistakenly think they can save time and money by starting flood mitigation on their own. The truth is that most people do not have a fraction of the knowledge professionals do, let alone any of the right equipment for the job,
- Calling a trusted flood restoration team like SERVPRO offers a quick solution involving proven methods and industry-leading equipment. Additionally, all of our technicians get trained following the standards of the IICRC, so you know you have the right team on the job.
Stagnant water is one of the most significant issues residents face after flooding. The longer water pools in rooms, the larger the problem and the more surfaces and contents take on damage. The most common consequences of a flood include:
- Electrical wiring exposed to water becomes a danger and risk.
- More than the flooring suffers; water infiltrates walls, furniture, and even ceilings.
- Damp, musty odors are impossible to eliminate without the help of specialized measures – this is where our Odor Control Technicians (OCT) come in.
SERVPRO of Kent is here to handle flood damage and everything else caused by the storm, including a leaking roof from storms and devastation from debris. Contact us at (253) 850-1500.
Avoid Delays When Dealing with Flooding in Kent
4/11/2022 (Permalink)
Our certified water removal team is standing 24/7 by to take your emergency call.
Quick Flood Removal Actions Make Kent Home Habitable Again
The comfort you enjoy in your home can be curtailed instantly during flooding incidents. For a homeowner in Kent, removing murky water and moisture management were the main concerns since the flooding incident also involved a torn roof leaving a significant portion of the house, including the ceiling and walls, wet. Essential steps towards achieving the desired goal were:
- Protecting contents from damages
- Removing wet materials
- Removing stagnant water
- Cleaning soiling and removing contamination
Calling SERVPRO to offer professional assistance in flood removal helped the Kent homeowner in many ways to restore preloss conditions ensuring a comfortable stay. Our team brought a wealth of knowledge, including how to resolve the situation faster and what goals were necessary to achieve. For example, we had to ensure moisture content in wooden household items was down to 7%-11% and the relative humidity inside the house around 30% to 60%, depending on the temperature levels. Removal or prevention of foul odors is also necessary.
Various steps are usually necessary to achieve these goals. Removing any standing water and wet materials from the structure was essential to help in moisture management. To reach wet materials such as drywall and insulation within the walls, our SERVPRO team started by making flood cuts. The cut is made a few inches above the waterline, simplifying the process of removing wet wall panels without tearing down the entire wall. It also creates better room for using water extractors and pumps for water removal.
Other moisture control steps are necessary even after removing wet unsalvageable materials and extracting standing water from the building. Foul odors and other severe issues such as mold can develop in the building due to high moisture levels. Along with using antimicrobial cleaning agents, our SERVPRO technicians also take elaborate steps to dry excess moisture. For example, venting air movers into wall spaces helped remove excess water from the cavities. We also set up a couple of dehumidifiers in different home sections, expediting drying.
With the proper response, flooding incidents are easier to manage. Call SERVPRO of Kent at (253) 850-1500 to assist. We're Faster To Any Size Disaster.
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