A water emergency can be a very distressing experience for everyone involved. Finding your home filling with water and not knowing where it’s coming from or what to do about it would panic even the coolest person in the world. This is why water damage restoration companies like Texas Certified Restoration are available around the clock to respond to urgent situations. We received a call at around 3 o’clock in the morning about emergency water damage in Round Rock, TX.

Here, we take a look at how we dealt with it.

A broken supply line leaking water throughout the home

Upon arrival at the scene, we discovered that the supply line had broken, spilling water all over the house.

After locating the source and ensuring that the leak had stopped, we then had to assess how far the water had spread and where damage may have been caused.

On this occasion, the homeowner was lucky on two counts. The first was that the leak was of clean water. If it had been sewage or water containing debris brought in from outside, the required cleanup would have been much more extensive.

The second was that the majority of the flooring was tiled. Carpets and rugs are often the first casualties of water damage. Because they can soak up large amounts of moisture, it could take several days for these to dry fully.

This is plenty of time for mold colonies to start to form. In fact, mold needs just 24 hours to settle on surfaces.

Clear the standing water

As the floors in the property were tiled, it was relatively easy to remove the standing water.

Tiles are considered the most durable flooring and can survive even extreme flooding. Tiles can naturally resist water damage - as long as the installation is properly designed and correctly installed.

In the case of a poorly installed (sealed) system, the potential is high for tiles to un-bond, leading to excessive moisture between the subfloor and the tiles, resulting in adhesive failure, tile looseness and the potential to shift. Mold, mildew and musty smells can be a major concern too.

However, in this flood in Round Rock, TX, the installation was good and buckets and mops were enough to soak up the spill.

In cases where the water is deeper, submersible pumps can be used.

Damage inspection

In order to prevent mildew and mold growth, normally it’s very common to have to scrap and replace any water-damaged drywall, insulation, floorboards, carpets and baseboards.

In this case, however, having cleared the water, an initial visual inspection showed no significant water damage.

That said, water had still passed into the baseboards in the property.

Baseboard removal

In the vast majority of water damage restoration projects, baseboards have to be removed.

This is because baseboards are most often made of MDF (compressed cardboard), despite appearing to be wood from the outside.

MDF is a highly absorbent material. As a result, it can quickly soak up a lot of moisture.

Even if MDF baseboards can be dried out before mold and mildew start to grow, the material will already have expanded and be warped out of shape.

To remove water-damaged baseboards, you have to follow these steps:

1. Use a fresh blade to score the paint line
2. Get a good grip on the baseboard with pliers
3. Wedge a pry bar under the area you’ve gripped
4. Apply pressure to lift the board up
5. Repeat in multiple areas until the baseboard comes loose

Check for hidden water damage

As moisture can creep into places you can't see or readily locate, once the baseboards were removed, we checked for any hidden water damage.

In more complex scenarios, we would use specialized equipment like moisture detectors, hygrometers and remote cameras to ensure the job is done correctly.  However, in this case, the damage was limited to the baseboards. 

If any moisture had been detected, we would use fans and dehumidifiers to dry it out.

Once the baseboards were removed and further water damage was ruled out, we cleared out the equipment, swept and vacuumed and got out of the customer’s way, leaving the site as close as possible to the pre-flood condition.

Texas Certified Restoration, your water damage restoration specialists in Greater Austin, TX

Texas Certified Restoration is a water damage restoration company that offers emergency water damage cleanup in Greater Austin, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We always make sure to handle your property as though it were our own, maintaining the highest standards of professional quality and safety. 

Your home and your business are your most valuable assets. So, if you’re facing a water emergency, don't hesitate to give Texas Certified Restoration a call at (512) 883-6760 or contact us via our online form.