Crawlspace Flood Damage is a big deal!
Most people do not open their crawlspace often. When Brothers Restoration see Crawlspace Flood Damage it usually has had the opportunity to sit for a while. Electrical, heating, and plumbing can all be accessed through your crawlspace. Since there is so much pluming in your crawlspace it has the potential for a lot of damage. The assumption that most people have is that it is just dirt and does not need any precautions from damage. Although there isn’t a lot of materials that are susceptible to direct damage there are still many other issues.
The largest concern that you face when it comes to Crawlspace flood damage is humidity penetration. In a cool and closed off area water has nowhere to travel. Water will then evaporate when temperature permits it. After which the vaporized water will sit on other materials, to include subflooring and floor studs. This invites both Wood Rot and mold growth. Smell is usually the home owners first indication of flooding. There is almost always effected materials if you can smell the damage. Removing standing water immediately is key to protecting your dwelling.
Most of the time crawlspace damage can be as damaging as floods in a basement or a room. With the primary concern being waters inability to evaporate crawlspaces have issues that these other places do not. After the water has been removed there is still an air humidity issue that needs to be addressed. The only way to protect the framing materials is to remove humidity.
Does the Vapor Barrier stop all Water? 
Vapor Barriers go a long way at containing damage but still permit evaporation damage. If water has gone through the vapor barrier it is contained in the soil and still allows odor. Insure that your Vapor barrier is free of any holes for water to get through. Having trapped water below the Barrier can cause additional damage. Often times once you have had a flood the vapor barrier will need to be replaced.
What Will Brothers Restoration do for you?
Brothers Restoration uses numerous professional tools to locate and eliminate both standing water and humidity. Our first step is to identify the source of water. Typically faulty plumbing exterior penetration cause Crawlspace flood damage. After that we will measure the humidity and Identify saturated surfaces by using hydrometers as well as thermal imaging. Then we begin the dry out process. Having an exact idea of what areas are higher in humidity dictates how we address the issues. We use the most cutting edge equipment as well as professionally trained technicians to insure that the humidity does not have to opportunity for further damage. When you use Brothers Restoration you can be confident that your Crawlspace Flood Damage is taken care of.
Recent Comments