Before

After

Restoring a Knoxville Home After Storm Damage 

A flooding incident can be damaging to many Knoxville homes simultaneously, and recently, unexpected storm damage threatened this residence. In the Before Photo, you can see the efforts of our SERVPRO team in the process of drying and cleaning affected surfaces and building materials. This photograph does not show the necessary flood mitigation steps that our professionals provide to reach the stage where flooring material can get assessed and controlled demolition can follow suit.

Flood Mitigation and Water Removal Services

Standing water, especially with the threats of contaminants, was a formidable obstacle for responding to SERVPRO professionals in this case. When several inches of standing water exists, technicians utilize tools like our submersible pumps and portable wet vacuums to remove surface water concerns. Extraction wands were critical in removing any pooling water to inspect flooring and wall elements for irreparable damages that might require controlled demolition.

As you see in both the Before and After Photo, engineered wood flooring is particularly sensitive to absorption and oversaturation, which can lead to warping and bloating of the planks. To prevent moisture and blackwater migration to more of the flooring, we assessed the presence of trapped water in the wood planks using thermal imagery and moisture meters. Overly impacted portions of the floor were pulled up and discarded to promote thorough drying when air movers in the Before Photo got placed.

Thorough Drying of Installed Building Materials 

With concrete subflooring material beneath the thin engineered wood, floodwater had nowhere to go but to overwhelm the flooring. After removing warped and bloated flooring planks, our SERVPRO team could begin placing our air movers and dehumidifiers. Low Grain Refrigerant (LGR) dehumidifiers, as you see in the Before Photo, can run almost continually during the drying process, discharging collected water from the environment through the thin, clear hose visible next to the unit.

The wood trim prevented water penetration into wall cavities but required removing this baseboard and focused drying efforts where they were installed. You can see the low-profile centrifugal air mover focusing a blast of dry air against the base of exposed drywall to evaporate any surface moisture concerns.

Preventing Secondary Damages to Knoxville Homes

With a register so close to the damaged areas, our SERVPRO professionals had to be mindful of possible mold spore activity spreading in the house and utilizing moist conditions to form colonies in the HVAC system or organic building materials. Efficient drying prevented this occurrence, though we have skilled air duct cleaning professionals should microorganisms have become a concern for the house and its occupants.

To achieve the look of the Knoxville house in our After Photo, the flooring needed to get reinstalled after drying. We matched the existing wood flooring and expertly replaced discarded planks now that the concrete base had a clean, dry surface. Technicians with our general contractor license also installed new white trim along the bottom of the wall systems. Our customers saw how our fast response made it “Like it never even happened.”