Long term water damage cause a little puddle on the kitchen floor but problems in crawlspace

11/21/2019 (Permalink)

Many of us rarely use our crawlspaces so when there is a problem it can go undetected for a long period of time. In this case the homeowners noticed a small puddle on their kitchen floor several days in a row. They simply cleaned up the puddle every day and thought their refrigerator was on its last legs. The homeowners eventually called their appliance repair company and they came out to investigate the situation further. They determined that the refrigerator had been leaking and the majority of the water was ending up in the crawlspace.  The entire crawlspace floor was covered in water. That’s when SERVPRO of Central Chester County was called in.

Any time a long term water damage or mold is reported, a project manager goes out before the technicians. The project manager inspects the home to find all areas of damage, develop plan of water damage remediation, establish mold remediation protocol, and inform the customer of how work will be performed in their home. 

The project manager starts with the reported source of the water; he first inspected the kitchen and found the ceramic tile floor to be minimally wet and installed over cement board. He also suspected the drywall behind the cabinets was affected as well. He then inspected the adjacent dining room, moved a piece of furniture, and found a wet drywall wall and buckled hardwood floor. In the crawlspace there was water on the floor, wet insulation, and behind the insulation there was mold growth on the underside of the subfloor.

After a detailed conversation with the homeowners a plan was developed and the technicians were scheduled.  The plan was to remove the damaged flooring and the wet drywall in the dining room, then to dry the inaccessible wet drywall behind the kitchen cabinets. SERVPRO of Central Chester County uses every effort to “restore vs. replace” but in this case removing the drywall in the dining room was a much better alternative than removing cabinets to dry the wet drywall in the kitchen.  In the crawlspace the wet insulation was to be removed the floor to be extracted and cleaned, and the underside of sub-floor to be cleaned with an anti-microbial agent, then to dry everything.

Once the technicians arrived, the homeowners already knew what to expect. The technicians carried out the plan and all went smoothly. Reconstruction was scheduled to follow. 

Every water and mold damage is different and needs a personalized approach that encompasses the full scope of the damage.  Proper planning and inspection ensures that nothing gets overlooked and all goes on schedule.  If you have had a long term water damage or see signs of mold growth, call SERVPRO of Central Chester County at 610-524-0211 for a FREE inspection today!