What to Know About Pipe Burst Cleanup to Minimize Loss, Costs & Stress
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What You Should Know About Broken Pipes and Pipe Burst Cleanup
Coming home to find yourself ankle deep in flood water from a burst pipe is an experience no one ever wants to have. But in reality, it’s a relatively common problem with the plumbing and seldom occurs at a convenient time. When the pipe that bursts is in a location where it’s easy to find – like under your kitchen or bathroom sink – this is actually a better problem to have; that is, when you find it right away and can call a plumber and a water damage company to perform immediate burst pipe cleanup services. Extracting this water within 48-72 hours, drying and dehumidifying building structures, cabinets, affected furnishings, and personal items may save thousands of dollars in expenses and allow you to stay in your home during repairs and restoration.
But what happens when you have a burst pipe hidden from view? How do you know about it and what should you do?
Signs of a Leaking or Burst Pipe
- Pooling of water or water damage to areas of the wall, ceiling, or floor.
- Hissing sound of water running when the plumbing is not in use.
- Pressure in pipes is not consistent when using a pressure gauge attached to your plumbing when the water supply is shut off.
- Your ceiling is bulging.
- There is a visible split in a portion of a pipe.
- You receive an enormous water bill and have not recently filled a new swimming pool.
More About Burst Pipe Cleanup
Burst pipe cleanup will generally will depend on these four important factors:
Type of Water
Whether the water in the burst pipe is clean or dirty will determine the flood damage classification and type of repairs and restoration required.
Extent of Damage
The amount of damage to building structures, materials and personal items will determine costs and the length of time to restore your home.
Length of Time
Flood damage from clean water within 48-72 hours will have a lower classification than floods from pipes containing dirty water.
Probability of Mold Damage
The presence of visible mold, musty odor, or other signs of long term water damage will classify the damage as more extensive and likely to require mold remediation.
Continuing Effects of Water Damage
Minutes, Hours and Days After Water Damage
Within Minutes
- Water spreads to other areas and rapidly increases the scope and cleanup of the damage.
- Dyes released from furniture discolor carpet.
- Drywall and base molding absorb water rapidly.
Within Hours
- Furniture and cabinets begin to delaminate, split or swell.
- Pressboard swells and disintegrates
- Bacterial odor develops.
Within Days
- Fungus begins to appear with a musty odor.
- Metal surfaces begin to rust.
- Respiratory health problems can occur.
- Water damaged contents can’t be salvaged.
- Damage costs escalate.
When it comes to burst pipe cleanup, you can trust Armstrong as an experienced, licensed and certified provider of water damage mitigation, mold remediation and restoration services. Here’s what you can expect:
- Our immediate goal upon arrival is to keep you and your family safe. We go to work at no cost to you, to accurately identifying the cause, extent, and duration of your flood damage.
- Once you choose us for your pipe burst cleanup services, we act as your insurance advocate to determine your water damage coverage and assure maximum claim reimbursement based on your policy, claim and our analysis.
- Our adherence to IICRC protocols means that we follow industry and insurance approved protocols that specify how to safely contain and manage your category of flood damage. Whenever possible, our goal is to save rather than remove building structures, furnishings and other water damaged items.
- We help you find suitable accommodations when staying in your home is unsafe or impossible.
- Unlike most other companies, we have invested in specialized equipment that allows us to dry and dehumidify building structures in locations where access is more difficult. This means saving more building materials at a lower cost for you.
- We monitor the extent of moisture through instruments that provide accurate measurements.
- Besides the usual industrial equipment, we have specialty devices that allow us to dry and dehumidify building structures in hard to access locations.
- We make every attempt to restore personal property that can be salvaged.
- Your job may involve other specialty contractors. We work cooperatively with them to assure that your job is done safely, efficiently and cost effectively from start to finish.
- If there is any question about the need for mold remediation, we recommend testing from a certified and unbiased environmental company who are specialists in mold analysis and testing.
- Our actions are swift, responsible, cost effective and safe to get your property managed and restored to a better than new condition.
- You have your own personal account representative to answer your questions, keep you informed, act as your advocate and help you to make decisions related to repairing, remediating and restoring your home.
Pipe Burst Cleanup Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if I have a burst pipe?
The first thing to do is to shut off the water at the main shut off valve. Avoid touching any electrical wiring or switches that may be affected. If any doubt, turn off your electricity at the fuse box. Then call a reputable plumber to repair the broken pipe. While the plumber is on the way, call your insurance company and initiate a claim. If your property is old, it is advisable to have the plumber inspect all of your plumbing. It is much less costly to repair and/or replace plumbing than to have that expense in addition to major flood damage repairs.
What are common causes of broken pipes in Florida?
In tropical climates, pipes commonly break because of age, misuse, damage or pressure from surrounding building materials or tree roots. In older properties with outdated copper and galvanized pipes, a whole house repipe is an inexpensive alternative to recurring expenses from water leaks due to failing pipes.
What should I know about flooding from a burst pipe?
A burst pipe is a plumbing emergency that should be handled immediately by a reputable and trustworthy plumber. A burst pipe may be obvious or behind building structures where the source of water damage is hidden from view. Evidence of a flood may be discovered after receipt of an enormous water bill that prompts investigation. Until the source of the flood and water damage can be determined, the first initial step is to turn off the water at the main shut-off valve and call a plumber. Electricity should be turned off if any water could make contact with electric wires or switch plates. Then contact your insurance company and initiate a claim. The final step is to call a reputable water damage, mold remediation, and restoration company.
Rapid response to a broken pipe can greatly reduce catastrophic damage, preventing the need for extensive remediation and restoration. A broken pipe with clean water is classified as a category 1 flood. If managed within 48 hours through proper extraction, drying and dehumidification, building structures, furniture and other personal items can often be saved. Rapid water damage repair is the best way to prevent the formation and spread of mold that can be harmful to health and will require costly and extensive repairs, remediation and restoration.
When do I need flood damage repair?
Professional cleanups for all floods, big and small is highly recommended to prevent the formation and spread of mold in dark, hidden areas with poor ventilation. Areas behind and inside cabinets, behind baseboards and under flooring is impossible to adequately dry and dehumidify through conventional methods. Water damage can rapidly produce irreversible structural damage. Mold begins to grow within 48-72 hours. Through mold spores, mold rapidly spreads to other areas of your home. Hiring a professional to extract water, dry building structures, and other damaged items can often prevent costly catastrophic damage. Water damage repair services are performed by a state licensed, insured and certified contractor to assure safe, quality and appropriate intervention.
What are classifications for flood damage?
The following are IICRC classifications are used to define safe and appropriate protocols for the management of flood damage:
- Category 1 floods involve clean water with the flood within 48 hours. In these cases, drying and dehumidification methods can be used to restore building structures, furniture, and personal property.
- Category 2 floods involve fresh water from a washing machine, sink or toilet within 48 hours. In these cases, water damaged sheetrock and baseboards are removed. Cabinets and solid wood furniture can often be saved.
- Category 3 floods involve outside water such as from a sewer backup or fresh water after 48 hours. In these cases, the presence of microbial growth dictates a full demolition of all removable building structures and removal of personal property affected.
- Category 4 floods involve toxic waste in which bacteria and toxic mold are assumed. Flood damage resulting from severe weather in which there is overflow from water tables is classified as a category 4 flood. In such cases, all removable structures and personal property is removed and discarded.
Do I need to worry about mold?
If your burst pipe contains clean water and the water damage is properly managed within the first 48-72 hours, it is unlikely that you will experience a mold problem. Mold growth occurs rapidly after 72 hours so it is important not to delay in getting professional help after any type of flooding event.
When should mold testing be done?
Mold inspection and testing by an unbiased licensed and ACAC Certified Indoor Environmentalist company prior to mold remediation is used to verify the presence, type, and extent of mold. These specially trained professionals provide detailed inspection reports that document the source of mold and extent of mold contamination. They also make recommendations for cleanup according to nationally accepted industry standards such as S-520 and S-500.
What is water damage restoration?
Water damage restoration is performed after initial steps are implemented during a flood to eliminate the cause, dry and dehumidify affected surfaces and building structures, and remove porous materials that cannot be salvaged. Assuming there is no mold infestation or toxic mold, restoration is the final step to bring the property to its like-new condition. This is the stage in which all building structures and materials damaged from the water are replaced. Often this includes flooring, drywall, baseboards and anything else that restores the property to its pre-damaged condition. Also included in this phase is proper cleaning and odor removal for affected upholstered furniture, draperies, and tile and grout. HVAC duct cleaning may also be performed to remove mold spores that could spread throughout the home. Besides being IICRC and an EPA lead-safe certified contractor, Armstrong is a fully licensed and insured Florida contractor for providing complete water damage restorations and renovations in residential and most commercial properties.
How do you help homeowners with insurance claims?
We have specialized knowledge and experience in working closely with insurance companies for water damage, mold remediation and fire damage. Because of our ethics and reputation for strictly adhering to IICRC certification requirements, Armstrong is one of only a few water damage, mold and restoration companies to be on the approved and recommended list by some of the leading homeowners’ insurance companies.
We are able to read through the legalese within your policy to determine exactly what is covered as well as the specific terms. We provide your insurance carrier with detailed itemized documents for all damages including pictures and descriptions that accurately define replacement needs and costs. This allows us to work in your behalf to expedite claims and maximize your benefits for covered expenses.
Is burst pipe cleanup covered by insurance?
Although the plumbing expenses are generally not covered, water damage cleanup, repairs, and restoration of your property is usually a covered expense. Some insurance companies have a list of approved water damage cleanup providers who follow strict flood classification protocols that safeguard the consumer from unnecessary demolition. When water damage expenses are covered and approved vendors are used, 100% of their fees are covered and paid directly by the insurance company.
Why should I choose Armstrong services?
We are a fully licensed, certified and insured contractor in Florida. For more than three decades, our experience, training, and values for integrity, quality, and dependable services have made us a trusted water, mold, fire and restoration contractor.
Unlike some of our competitors, we follow IICRC standards to assure safe and appropriate practices. This means that customers are not overcharged for unnecessary and costly demolition and restoration of their property. We are one of a few trusted residential contractors for water damage, mold remediation, and restoration services by leading homeowner insurance companies.
When you contact Armstrong Water Mold Cleanup & Restorations, it will take the burden off you to figure out what is needed and at what time. We provide you with a free inspection and estimate, identifying the cause and classification so that the correct procedures can be implemented promptly. We also help you with insurance claims, assist you in finding suitable accommodations, and help you to obtain reputable plumbers, roofers, and other trades or companies that provide services needed in your flood damage repair and restoration.
We respond 24/7 within a 2-hour response time to water damage and mold service calls within Southwest Florida. The inspection and estimate are free. We stand behind all of our work with an unconditional guarantee for quality, workmanship and dependable service.
What are the areas where you provide services?
Our service areas span all of Southwest Florida. This includes Marco Island, Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, N. Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Sanibel Island, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte and other inland areas of Collier, Lee and Charlotte Counties.
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