This new feature on UDK’s blog will discuss disasters we have cleaned up for the good people of Utah and we will highlight preventative measures that you can take to help keep damages to a minimum to your home or business.
Today we will be discussing flood damage to a resort based here in the Wasatch Mountains.
What Happened?
Having indoor plumbing as well as access to hot water is a feature in our modern lives that brings us a great standard of convenience. However, sometimes those systems fail due to equipment failure, vandalism, construction accidents or other unforeseen issues.
On one particular autumn day, the staff of a beautiful upscale European lodge located in Wasatch County were going on with their day when a power outage occurred causing the facility’s boiler to fail resulting in a major flood that affected the entire first floor of the lodge. This included 50 guest suites along with multiple corridors that all hotel guests accessed for common areas.
What can be done to prevent or minimize impacts of a flood in the future?
1. For businesses, always making sure someone on staff has access and knowledge for water main shut offs and contingencies such as a specialized plumbing contractor who understands complex commercial water supply systems.
2. For homeowners, make sure you and every member of the family know where and how to shut off the water main as quickly and safely as possible in an emergency.
3. If you notice leaks, even small ones, call a plumber to have leaky and broken pipes repaired immediately.
4. Keep storm drains as well as any floor drains clear of debris so they can drain freely.
5. Install a sump pump in flood prone areas that will detect moisture and automatically turn on in the event of water accumulation. Check the pump regularly to ensure it is operational.
6. Regularly schedule inspections and professional drain cleanings.
7. Install a water detection device that sounds an alert when water is detected in areas of concern.
8. If you live in flood prone areas, have supplies on hand such as sand bags that can divert water and provide a barrier to protect your property from flooding.
9. If you experience a flood from a broken pipe, turn off the water main first, then relieve pressure from the system by opening adjacent faucets.
10. Every property should be equipped with mops, buckets and wet/dry shop vacs should flooding occur. It allows you to instantly take action and minimize further damage.
11. During the cold winter months when temperatures drop below 30 degrees, make sure your thermostat is set to no lower than 55 degrees. This is especially important when travelling. Open cabinet doors to allow warm air to fill spaces that are adjacent to exterior walls that typically get colder than other areas of the home.
Developing a flood plan and being prepared can go a long way in minimizing damage to your structure. Take a look at a few of our other social media posts for tips and tricks in forming a plan.
To learn more about how UDK restores homes flooding check out our Flood Damage Restoration and Repair page!
You are always welcome to call our non-emergency line for more information on how we can cleanup any disaster your home has encountered, big or small!
— Part 2
Welcome back to the Utah Disaster Kleenup Blog, where we discuss previous disasters we have cleaned up and talk about preventative steps and plans as well as getting you back up and running again.
Last week we shared a story about a resort lodge based here in the Wasatch Mountains that experienced a power outage that caused a boiler failure. The boiler failure caused a major flood impacting the entire first floor.
The lodge had all of its common areas, corridors and 50 guest bedrooms impacted by the flood. Normally the lodge’s staff would typically handle any floods that would spring up, but this was much larger that the staff would be equipped to handle and UDK was called to the site.
While UDK was on site cleaning up the initial loss, the power was restored which caused the boiler to begin overflowing rapidly, resulting in a second wave of flooding. UDK acted quickly to prevent further and more extensive damage from occurring.
While the cleanup was taking place, UDK’s experienced project managers were at work creating a scope of loss. They use moisture meters and infrared cameras to detect any water that was absorbed into areas that otherwise appear dry. This step is important as any areas not mitigated could potentially result in mold. Conducting a thorough and complete scope is important for the insurance carrier as well. They will use this documentation for their claims process.
Water is one of the most destructive forces within the walls of a building. Water quickly saturates carpet and padding and then begins wicking up the walls into the sheetrock. It is common for restorers to remove baseboards, drill holes, and for more severe flooding, cut sheetrock and remove insulation to the lower section of the wall to facilitate airflow and drying. Water will cause furniture to expand and split and even cause staining.
Water not only is destructive to building materials, but can pose a safety risk around electrical lines. Dampness and high humidity can corrode electrical connections which can lead to early failures or even fires down the road if not addressed.
UDK uses FLIR (Forward Looking InfraRed) inspection cameras that can spot moisture without disturbing building materials and drilling unnecessary holes in walls, floors and ceilings. While these cameras don’t actually see the moisture they can detect small temperature variations that reveal the presence of moisture. When a temperature variation is found it can be verified by a moisture meter.
When viewed through the naked eye, the space may look unaffected or undamaged, but with the thermal imaging cameras you can see what areas need attention. In the photos you can see what the naked eye sees compared to thermal imaging cameras. The darker areas are cooler indicating moisture. These are areas that need a closer look to determine if there is moisture present.
UDK’s project managers use tools like cameras to quickly survey spaces inside the building and locate any trouble spots that need to be addressed. It is common to mind moisture in adjacent areas and areas beneath where the initial flooding occurred. Crawl spaces, basements and areas not easily accessed (such as the space under a kitchen island) make great hiding places for water. UDK’s trained staff knows how to locate and mitigate these problem areas, with little disruption to building materials. This saves time and money when it comes to repairs.
Navigating the claims process with the insurance company can be frustrating, but detailed documentation with daily drying logs and estimates are required to keep your insurance company in the loop and help you throughout the process of the cleanup.
If you have questions, you are always welcome to call our non-emergency line for more information on how we can cleanup any disaster your home has encountered, big or small!
To learn more about how UDK restores homes flooding check out our Flood Damage Restoration and Repair page!
Part 3
Welcome back to the Utah Disaster Cleanup Blog, where we discuss previous disasters we have cleaned up and talk about preventative steps and plans as well as getting you back up and running again.
For the last two weeks we been discussing a story about a resort lodge based here in the Wasatch Mountains that experienced a power outage that caused a boiler failure. The boiler failure caused a major flood impacting the entire first floor that damaged over 50 rooms.
If you have not read the previous installments, you can read them here and here.
This week we are discussing the most fun part of our jobs, the final part of the process where the results can really speak for themselves: the cleanup!
Once the damage was fully assessed, UDK needed to act quickly to minimize further damage, save building materials, and reduce the potential of indoor mold growth.
UDK uses high velocity drying equipment, dehumidifiers and powerful extraction units to remove moisture, facilitate drying and reach appropriate humidity levels which minimize damage and reduce the potential for indoor mold growth.
Fortunately, it was the off season for the lodge, but the resort offers accommodations and activities for locals on an upcoming weekend. Arrangements were made so the UDK could get it cleaned up with as little impact as possible on the guests and their experience.
After the initial water cleanup was completed, UDK moved to restore the damaged building components to their previous condition ensuring the beautiful workmanship of the lodge was not compromised. Also important, was keeping construction noise at a minimum and having specific corridors available for the weekend traffic, and resuming construction at full capacity during the weekdays and weekday evenings to meet deadlines.
With any type of property restoration project, UDK will ensure your property is restored to pre-loss condition. We work hard to coordinate the process with as little impact as possible and leave your property better than restored.
The lodge was very pleased with UDK’s ability to not only get the job done in a timely manner, but minimizing the impact that was made on the overall guest experience.
If you would like to learn about other disasters we’ve cleaned up and how we’ve helped return families back to normal read through our other blog posts and case studies. Call our non-emergency line for more information on how we can cleanup any disaster your home has encountered, big or small!
To learn more about how UDK restores homes flooding check out our Flood Damage Restoration and Repair page!
Keep your eyes peeled for our next case study detailing…