Water Damage & Clean Up
Pipes bursting, indoor flooding, or even a small amount of water over time can cause structural damage, mold, and other kinds of hazards in your home or the workplace. AdvantaClean specializes in remediation and cleanup when it comes to all types of water problems.
Water Damage & Restoration
Water damage can be sudden, wreaking havoc on your property. Don't leave flooding untreated, mitigate health hazards and structural damage.
Flood Damage
Water Damage or Flood Damage? Understand the difference and see how AdvantaClean will be by your side during this.
Sewage Removal
Water damage can be sudden, wreaking havoc on your property. Don't leave flooding untreated, mitigate health hazards and structural damage.
Basement Waterproofing
Prevent and control the growth of mold and future health problems by waterproofing your basement and controlling the moisture.
Water FAQs
Wondering how water can hurt your property? We have the answers to all your frequently asked questions about water damage.
General Water Damage & Restoration
Did Your Property Flood?
Flooding and other water damage can be sudden, wreaking havoc on your property. If left untreated, the excess water can cause health hazards and create structural damage. Immediate action is necessary to save you both money and worry. Whether the culprit is a broken pipe, a faulty household appliance, an overloaded washing machine, sewage back up, or simply rainwater, a house flood can be devastating – and when it comes time to fix water damage, it can be costly.
Turn to AdvantaClean for quality water damage restoration services that are effective and affordable. We use cutting-edge technology and non-invasive methods to find the cause of flooding and fix it at the root of the problem. Unlike other technicians, we have an in-depth understanding and experience assessing water damage and creating customized solutions. Our highly trained professionals arrive on time, prepared, and get the job done quickly. We have a national training facility, which allows us to lead the industry in quality services and excellence.
Protect Yourself from Water Damage
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reported over $3 million in loss dollars paid in the United States. Property owners are often blindsided by the cost of water damage restoration. To protect yourself, it is important to understand how your home becomes susceptible to flooding.
Common Causes for Indoor Flooding:
- Broken Pipes
- Clogged Rain Gutters
- Poor Drainage
- Faulty Washing Machine Hose
- Natural Disasters
If left untreated, the excess water can damage your property and negatively impact your health. Things like dust mites, mold, and bacteria all thrive in warm, humid areas. If you do encounter a storm or a busted pipe, call our certified professionals immediately. We are available around the clock to help you with everything from water mitigation, drying services, and repairs.
No matter where you live, natural disasters can strike and cause serious damage to homes and buildings, including water damage. Tornadoes, hurricanes, and storms are some of the most common natural disasters that can cause flooding and water damage. Not to mention those not properly dried and cleaned after the incident can increase the likelihood of mold growing in and under the building. AdvantaClean cares about your property and will work with you to make sure the results of a bad storm don’t get worse. Emergency water clean-up is an important service of ours since it will help us save more of your property. We offer 24/7 emergency services because we know that a natural disaster doesn’t have the decency to occur during business hours.
Water Flood Damage - Will it be Covered by Insurance?
Damage caused by water that has been on the ground at some point before entering your home is considered to be water flood damage and is not covered by a standard homeowner’s insurance policy. Water flood damage can be insured only with a flood insurance policy written by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) — no other insurance will cover flood damage. NFIP is available through your insurance company or local Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) office. Their web site is also an excellent resource for additional information about water floods, including preparedness, statistics and disaster support services.
Experience the AdvantaClean Difference
We understand dealing with water damage can be a stressful situation, especially when you have other things to worry about. From the initial clean up to surveying the damage and creating lasting solutions, we handle it all. Our team takes the time to understand your worries and addresses all your concerns.
When it comes to your home or business, don’t compromise your standards, our services are backed by over 25 years of industry-leading experience. At AdvantaClean, our goal is simple – provide the ultimate customer experience. Our team strives to exceed expectations and provide lasting results. We understand you have a lot to deal with and try to help you take a load off by offering exceptional services. We keep water out from where it does not belong!
Water Damage vs. Flood Damage - What is the Difference?
The dictionary defines “flood” as a rising and overflowing of a body of water onto normally dry land. It is the most common natural disaster worldwide and causes 90 percent of property damage in the US, according to the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. For insurance purposes, the word “rising” is the key to distinguishing flood damage from water damage.
Water damage is much more extensive and covers most things that don’t involve “rising” water. Water damage includes issues such as faulty washing machine hoses, broken pipes that flood your kitchen or clogged rain gutters.
Damage caused by water that has been on the ground at some point before entering your home is considered to be water flood damage.
Water flood damage can be caused by:
- Outdated or clogged drainage systems
- Plumbing system issues
- Heavy rainfall
- Overflowing lakes or rivers
- Rise in sea level
House Flood Restoration
Mention house flood or water flood damage and most people think of a house flood after days of heavy downpours. Yet, even on a sunny day, your home can suffer from water damage.
Whether the culprit is a broken pipe, a faulty household appliance, an overloaded washing machine, sewage back up, or simply rainwater, a house flood can be devastating – and when it comes time to fix water damage, it can be costly.
House floods occur when excess water begins to pool in areas where it shouldn’t, and although you can take precautionary measures to prevent water flood damage from occurring, there’s not a fail-safe way to be sure a house flood won’t happen to you.
That’s why AdvantaClean is available 24 hours a day to handle house floods, fix water damage, perform sewage removal and provide emergency water damage restoration when a leak, water damage or house flood damage happens. We will be there, calmly and professionally, to regain control, stop further water damage and manage the recovery process.
Water Flood Damage - Will it be Covered by Insurance?
Water flood damage is not covered by a standard homeowner’s insurance policy. Water flood damage can be insured only with a flood insurance policy written by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) — no other insurance will cover flood damage. NFIP is available through your insurance company or local Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) office. Their web site is also an excellent resource for additional information about water floods, including preparedness, statistics and disaster support services.
Call Now for a Healthy Home or Business!
Homeowner’s insurance sometimes covers water damage, but it almost never covers flood damage. If flooding is a concern in your area, be sure to ask your insurance provider about the NFIP. Turn to our highly trained professionals for help with the insurance process. Our team is available to answer any questions. Additionally, we work hard to get your property looking and feeling like new again.
Sewage Removal & Sewage Back Up
Sewage Removal from Sewage Damage - What Causes It?
Sewage backups are the most common cause of sewage water damage to a home. When wastewater pipes are blocked, sewage water can overflow from city and residential pipes into your home through its plumbing system. Not only can this cause substantial property destruction, but sewage water also contains many disease-causing bacteria which hazardous to your health. For these reasons, it is imperative to have sewage removal performed quickly and properly by a certified company.
When sewage damage occurs, AdvantaClean’s highly trained professionals quickly tackle these critical sewage removal tasks: protecting people and property, removing potentially harmful contaminants immediately and restoring the environment to a dry state.
There are four main causes for sewer blockages which lead to sewage water back up in your home, resulting in the need for sewage removal. While some are easy to prevent, others are hidden and hard to detect before sewage damage occurs.
Four main causes for sewer blockages:
- Solid Flushes - The most common cause of sewage water removal is when sewage backups from a blockage in the pipeline between the city main and your home. This is usually caused by solid objects in the sewage system such as diapers, garbage, toys or other items that do not naturally decompose.
- Structural Defects - Different structural defects can develop in a sewage system over time and cause damage. Misaligned pipes, pipe collapses and cracks or holes in the line can lead to sewage overflow, requiring sewage removal and reconstruction of sewer lines.
- Root Infiltration - Tree roots often cause sewage backups by entering the water pipeline at joints and spreading throughout the pipeline. Tree roots can also crack and break sewage water pipes, creating additional structural defects.
- City sewer backup or surge - If the backup occurs in a city sewage line, the wastewater will normally overflow out of the lowest possible opening. In some homes, especially those with basements, the overflowing sewage wastewater may exit through the home’s lower drains and toilets.
The Sewage Removal Process
The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) provides a specific set of practical standards for sewage removal and water flood damage. According to the IICRC S500, sewage removal should only be done by experienced and trained technicians equipped with full protective equipment, including Tyvek suits, gloves, and masks and by using specialized equipment such as air scrubbers and dehumidifiers.
AdvantaClean has certified technicians that will promptly and professionally perform the sewage removal in your home according to IICRC standards. During the sewage removal process, we will consider several factors such as:
- The types of materials affected
- The degree of damage
- The extent of contaminated absorbent material
- The total contact time
- The amount of ventilation available
Why Should I Be Concerned About Basement Moisture?
The number one concern in any musty basement is mold, mildew or biological growth. These growths, specifically mold, grow in humid basements because they require moisture to grow. Mold is a eukaryotic plant-like organism whose spores flock to moisture-rich areas of homes and businesses. While it needs moisture, it differs from plants in that it doesn’t need sunlight to live and grow. This causes your damp and dark basement to become a mold haven.
Your best option to control mold growth is basement waterproofing and moisture control. Mold always needs remediation, and the only way to ensure it doesn’t grow back is to resolve its source, i.e., the moisture problem. Mold is dangerous not only to the structure of your basement, and thereby your home, but also to your health. Mold growth can lead to a plethora of different health symptoms, commonly allergy-like symptoms and worsening of chronic respiratory conditions like asthma.
Basement moisture occurs for a variety of reasons, chief amongst them is when your basement is below grade. The majority of basement moisture issues develop from:
- Improper exterior grading
- Insufficient guttering or downspouts
- Lack of air circulation or conditioning
- Cooler surface temperatures when below grade
What Does AdvantaClean Offer for Basement Waterproofing Solutions?
- Crack Repair- Injection Polyurethane and Epoxies for wall cracks and slabs.
- Drainage System Installation- Sump Pump Installation & Repair, Footing, and Curtain Drains
How Does Basement Waterproofing Help?
Our trained and certified technicians will diagnose your moisture source and work tirelessly toward a solution. Whether that is a basement dehumidifier or crack repair, AdvantaClean will resolve whatever is plaguing your basement, including mold remediation if need be. Basement waterproofing and moisture control help your home by saving it from the detrimental effects of moisture.
- Proper grade around the home directing moisture away from the structure.
- Installing, repairing or cleaning gutters and downspouts.
- Adding downspout extensions and exit lines to move water further from the home.
- Interior or exterior waterproofing.
- Installing basement ventilation systems, conditioning systems, or basement dehumidifier systems.
Water Damage FAQs
Water flood damage cleanup is a highly technical process, so it’s normal to have questions about how to handle water cleanup, fix water damage, and how the house flood restoration process works. The following are commonly asked questions by our house flood customers:
No. As a matter of fact, your insurance company would prefer you call a water damage restoration company to begin water cleanup and fix water damage as soon as possible. The faster our crews arrive, the more destruction we can prevent, which decreases restoration costs and protects your home from further house flood damage. You still want to call your insurance company to make a claim, but you should not wait for an adjuster to arrive before calling a professional company to fix water damage.
Water repair or water cleanup is a multi-phase process. The first step is to remove all standing water from flooring, wet carpet, and other affected materials. Once the water is removed, dehumidifiers and other specialized equipment are used to dry the areas. This can take multiple days, depending on the amount of water and space involved. After the process is complete, we use moisture meters and thermal imaging cameras (when applicable) to make sure your home is thoroughly dry. Fixing water damage may also involve drywall removal, carpet cleaning, wood floor repair, odor control, air duct cleaning, and mold removal.
Full restoration consists of two major phases. The first, mitigation, consists of demolition, cleaning and drying out the structure and belongings. This phase usually takes no more than 3 – 4 days. The second phase, repairs, can range from a few days to a couple of weeks depending on the degree of damage and lead time of materials such as carpeting, cabinets, or other flooring materials. Your AdvantaClean project manager will work closely with you and your insurance company to develop a full timeline for your mitigation and repairs so that your property is back to normal as quickly as possible.
The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) provides a specific set of standards for fixing water damage. According to the IICRC S500, water damage repair should only be done by experienced and trained technicians that will promptly and professionally fix water damage from a house flood according to IICRC standards.
The cost of water damage cleanup depends on the size of the flooded area and the amount of time needed to handle the water repair. If your insurance policy covers water damage restoration, you are typically only responsible for the deductible. Because water can move so quickly and be extremely destructive, if not promptly removed with the right equipment, there can be even bigger problems like mold growth and even structural damage. When done properly, fixing water damage can take several days and many man-hours to complete, which have varying costs.
- Clean water – poses no harm to people. This includes water damage caused by a sink or bathtub overflow or an appliance malfunction, such as a water heater or washing machine.
- Gray water – can cause harm and illness to people. This category includes water that has a significant amount of contamination, which can be chemical, physical, and/or biological.
- Black water – can cause severe illness to people. Black water is very unsanitary and contains pathogenic agents coming from other contaminated water sources. Black water can come from seawater, ground surface water, and sewage backups.
Water flood damage certainly has the potential to cause mold growth. Because mold thrives in moist environments, any place that is wet (and especially humid) is a perfect place for mold to grow. If you ignore the moisture, mold can begin to grow within 24-48 hours. It’s very important to take immediate action when you experience house flood damage of any type!
House flood water damage can be caused by a variety of factors, requiring you to find a reliable company to fix water damage. Some of these include heavy rain storms, burst or leaky pipes and malfunctioning appliances. House floods can also occur as a result of roof leaks and from defective gutters and downspouts which can cause water damage in your basement or crawlspace.
Some signs of hidden house flood water damage include peeling paint and wallpaper, visible mold, moisture and condensation, musty odors, and moisture or dampness in your carpet or other floorings.