What do I do when water damage has invaded my home?

There are several things you can do.

Take action immediately before any more damage is done by water settling in.                                                

If you can safely shut off the flow of water, do so immediately!

Shut off the electrical breaker to any affected area before trying to unplug any electrical devices.
Quickly and carefully move all valuables that may have been affected into a safe and dry location.
Call Vince to start the clean up and drying process.
Once we are on site we'll help guide you through calling your insurance provider to begin the claims process and let them know that your contractor, Vince Thompson, will be assisting you with the claims and cleanup process.
Relax knowing that Vince and Thompson Renovations will handle your claim from start to finish.
Never to the following in water damage situations:

Do not try to use a regular vacuum to try to pull up the water yourself. This is a shock hazard and could cause serious injury, death or damage to the equipment.
Never use newspaper or other scrap paper. Its ink can cause stains that may be difficult to remove.
Try not to walk in the affected area. It may cause water flow to spread further.
Don't let the WRONG Restoration Company do more harm than good to your home!!!

Many companies that claim to do water damage restoration are not fully trained in the latest techniques to ensure your home is fully dried and that all salvageable materials are kept intact and fully restored rather than replaced.

The Thompson Renovation difference:

24/7/365 Emergency Service
Certified Professional Assessment of Water and Flood Damage
Complete Structural Drying and Dehumidifying
Full Water Extraction and Cleanup
Fully Capable Property Restoration and Repair
Deodorizing and Sanitizing Services
Direct Billing of Insurance Claims
Fully Trained and Certified in Water Extraction, Property Repair and Drying, and Flood Damage Restoration.
We have certified and dedicated technicians on call 24/7/365 to respond to your emergency.

 

 

Preventing Water Damage
DID YOU KNOW that a nice vacation is one of the most coveted, relaxing events you can experience? That’s right… a relaxing time in a beautiful location, enjoying time with family and friends… it can’t be beat.

But that nice vacation becomes a disaster with all kinds of regrets if the family arrives home to a flooded house!

It is one of the absolute worst events in life. You didn’t want to come home. You wanted to extend your vacation, but you know you have to go to work on Monday. So you arrive home late Sunday night, and when you walk in the door, instead of nice, plush carpet awaiting your footsteps, you discover a squishy experience, and the first thing you hear is the sound of a pipe spewing water all over the place in another room.

Oh, if only you had been home when that pipe broke! If you had been home, you could have quickly shut off the main water supply and cleaned up the small mess. But Murphy’s Law dictates that if the worst can happen, it will. Pipes seem to break when no one is home. Sump pumps seem to fail when no one is home. The list goes on and on.

What can you do?

Here are some tips homeowners can use to ensure water damage does not occur:

1. Secure all windows and doors. Remember that a storm can drive water into your home if there is any type of opening, even a small one at a window.

2. Don’t turn off the heat! Keep the thermostat set at a level that ensures nothing inside will freeze. In winter months, you never know how cold it may get when you are on vacation.

3. Some hot water heaters have a vacation setting. Play it safe and take advantage of it.

4. This one is really important! Shut off all water supply sources to anything that might leak, like the washing machine. Even better? If appropriate, shut off the main water supply to the home, but leave instructions if anyone is going to visit or stay at your home while you are away.

5. Make sure your sump pump is in good working order. A failed sump pump means ground water is going to intrude and create havoc in your home.

So enjoy your next vacation, but don’t let coming home be a disaster. Follow these tips to make sure you don’t suffer from a water damage disaster.

(But if you do, call a water damage pro. They can fix it!)

 

Our Tested and Proven-Effective Water Remediation Process Ensures the Job is Done Right the First Time

Our water damage remediation process is tested and proven to be effective.  As certified drying specialists, we make sure THE JOB IS DONE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME by taking the following steps:

Step 1- Assessment

After stopping the flow of water into the home, the first step in the water remediation process is to assess the areas affected.  A determination must be made as to whether the water is hazardous or non-hazardous.  There are technically 3 types of water classifications:

• Clean water or Category 1 (such as a broken pipe)
• Grey water or Category 2 (as from a washing machine)
• Black water or Category 3 (typically sewage backup)

The more hazardous the water is, the more time and labor intensive the cleanup will be.

Carpet and/or flooring assessment is also necessary to determine if carpet, carpet pads, tile, etc are salvageable.  If so, we will get rid of the water first and then take the necessary steps to dry out the carpet, pad, and the sub-floor.  We can often salvage sub-floors without having to remove and replace the tile flooring.  Many competitors do not have this ability and you will find your floor ripped up, your tile shattered, and your invoice much higher than it should be.  Don't risk it! Call Vince.

Step 2- Structural Drying

The next step in the process is to make sure the ENTIRE structure is completely dried.  Floor fans are not effective to dry out flooring, drywall, studs, and other structural components.  When water is left inside of these materials, the result can be decay or damage-causing mold that can even effect your health.

We make sure the structure has not been compromised, and as long as the water damage has not already caused major damage to these structural components, we can rescue them using proper drying techniques.  Even components that other companies may routinely rip out and gut such as drywall in the ceiling and walls can often be restored using the proper techniques and equipment.

 

 

We can also work with your insurance company in the assessment process. This can help make sure your claim is handled quickly and professionally and you get the full benefit of your claim.

 

Step 3- Re-Testing

Once we feel we have done everything necessary to restore your structural components to their original condition, we test to make sure all components are dry inside and out.  This is where many other companies leave off.  Just because you sub-floor is dry to the touch, that does not mean that damage-causing water may not still be trapped inside the wood.

We make sure the process is complete before moving on with the restoration and renovation process.

Step 4- Restoration & Remodeling

With the fear of further damage behind , it is time to start the healing process by restoring and/or remodeling the affected areas back to their original condition or better.  In addition to being a water-damage remediation company, Vince has a track record of completing gorgeous renovations and remodeling projects in existing homes and knows how to take a space from old and crusty to new and beautiful.

We put all your old salvageable materials back in place and restore them as they were before.  Anything not salvageable can be replaced or updated by our team and made to be even better than before.  See our Renovations page for more information.