Spring is one of my favorite times of year. It’s not as hot as summer, not as cold as winter, and the increasing sunlight just makes me feel good. Spring isn’t all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows, however; the melting snow also causes flooding. Water damage is one of the most costly and time consuming types of damage to clean. What makes it worse than most other types is that you have to clean it up quickly. The longer flooding sits, the more water damage it does. It’s also a big cause of mold.

Now that the weather is warming up, the melting snow is likely to cause some minor flooding and water damage, so it’s time to get ready.

What To Look For with Flooding

If you want to keep water damage to a minimum, you should look for signs that you might have potential flooding issues that you can correct before it gets serious.

1. Look for Cracks In The Foundation

Cracks in the foundation usually suggest a more serious problem than just water damage, but if you do have cracks, you can expect that water is going to get in through it and make it worse. You want to get someone to look at this right away. It may be caused by weathering from water, or it may be something more serious, but either way, it needs to be corrected.

2. Peeling or Blistering Paint

If you have paint that’s peeling or blistering in places, it suggests that those areas are getting wet. Check the area to see if you can find where water might be leaking in from outside. You might also have leaking pipes in the walls somewhere.

3. Look For Places Where Water Might Pool

Check around your house for places where the ground slopes inwards toward the house. Water always goes downhill, so if there are places where the ground slopes towards the house, that’s where you can count on water to puddle up. If it does, it might weather its way through any cracks, or it might make new cracks of its own. Check areas inside the house that correspond to these locations for signs of dampness.

4. Bulges or Dents In Walls and Floors

Most house materials absorb some amount of moisture. This means if they get damp, they’ll start to bulge. If you find your floor or walls bulging, you know it’s getting wet. Left alone for too long, it weakens the materials and any weight placed on them will cause it to bend inward. If you see these bends and dents, then you know you have a serious leak somewhere nearby.

5. Cracked Spouts and Gutters

The purpose of spouts and gutters is to move water away from your house, but they can crack over time. If they do, water might leak out and drip near your home, which can then seep into your house. Make sure all of your downspouts direct water at least five feet away from your home and that there are no cracks that could let water seep out. Keep leaves and other clutter from clogging them up so the water doesn’t get blocked and spill out in unwanted places.

What To Do

If you spot any of these signs, you should take some steps. Cracks can be covered over using sealant. Cracked gutters can be replaced, and clogs can be removed. To prevent damage to your possessions, make sure they’re raised off the ground, away from water. If you find places where water pools around your house, have the area regraded so water flows away from it. All of these will help prevent flooding, but you may still have problems. For that, we can help.

How Alpine Deals With Flooding and Water Damage

1. Locate the Water Source and Stop It

Cleaning up water damage is no good if it’s just going to happen again, so the first thing we do is look for the source. Whether it’s a leaky pipe, cracks in the walls, or holes in the roof, we find the cause and fix it up. We will replace pipes, fill cracks, and seal holes to make sure water can’t get in again.

2. Extract The Water

While we find and stop the source of the water, we also remove what’s already got in. We have all the tools to do this. We’ve got fans and heaters to help evaporate the water, special carpet cleaners to suck out the moisture, and pumps to drain large puddles. Getting the water out quickly is key to reducing damage.

3. Search for Hidden Water

Not all of the water will be in plain sight. Some of it might be behind walls, or inside cabinets, or any number of other places. We don’t just get the obvious water, we search the area to find any hidden water. With our special technologies, we can find it no matter where it hides. When we find it, we remove it the same way.

4. Repair Water Damage

Once we’ve stopped the leaks and extracted the water, we repair the water damage. As with fire damage, we do a complete restoration. We’ll wash clothes and rugs, clean up your possessions, and repair any damage the water might have done to your home. This can include replacing carpets, cabinets, and cupboards, repainting, and even completely repairing structural damage caused by the flooding. We do it all on an as needed basis, fixing it as we find it.

Get It Fast

Speed is critical for water damage. Once the fire is out, your home won’t get any more burnt. If a tree is knocked over in a storm, it won’t do any more damage after it’s been removed. Flooding, however, continues to do damage the longer it sits. Therefore, we offer a fast response time to this. We promise that we will arrive within 60 minutes to get started on water removal. This will minimize the damage and thus the cost of restoration.

Call Us Quickly

If you’ve got flooding, you need to move fast. While you can get in touch with us online, if it’s a flooding emergency, call us right away. Our number is 1-855-4-alpine (855-425-7463). The sooner you call us, the sooner we’ll get out there and the more damage we can prevent.

If you’ve got the know-how and the time and you want to save a little money, we can also rent you the equipment to do it yourself. We recommend letting us handle it, though. We have over 20 years of experience with this. Not only that, but we work closely with your insurance company to help you get the most out of your dollar. Not only can we get it done fast, but we can help you save money doing so!

Flooding and Water Damage? We’ve Got You Covered!