Author: John

How To Keep Water From Destroying Your Home

What to do in a flood emergency
How to minimize damage
Know when to call a professional
Why mold growth is harmful
What your insurance usually covers
How to hire a certified company
Determine the extent of damage
Cover yourself to claim your loss

You’ve only got 48-72 hours before mold grows
Do...
Call a certified water damage professional now!
Write down a list of damaged items to give to your adjuster.
Protect your furnishings. Remove any wet pieces of furniture. Place tin foil beneath any furniture with wood legs. This will keep the wood from bleeding on the floor.
Remove any wet fabrics from the home. Take wet rugs, clothing, upholstery cushions, books, towels, or anything removable out.
Turn on your air conditioning system and fans. This will help dehumidify the air.
Do Not...
Don’t use your household vacuum to remove water
Don’t turn on ceiling fans if ceiling is wet
Don’t enter rooms with sagging ceilings
Don’t plug in or turn on any appliances.
Ed McMahon Sues Over Mold,
Says it Killed His Dog
Entertainer Ed McMahon is suing his insurance company for more than $20 million, alleging that he was sickened by toxic mold that spread through his Beverly Hills house. Both McMahon and his wife, Pamela, became ill from the mold, as did members of their household staff. The McMahons also blame the mold for the death of the family dog, Muffin. The trouble began when their den became flooded. A month later, mold was discovered in the den. The McMahons questioned the contractors' cleanup methods - including simply painting over the mold. "When your family loses its health and your home is a wasteland, that's a colossal disaster," McMahon said. Source: The Los Angeles Times
Questions and Answers:
If my carpet and pad is wet, is it ruined?
In most cases, your carpet and pad is restorable IF the water was clean water and has been in the carpet for less than 24 hours. Repairs can often be done to the carpet if necessary to restore the carpet as it was before the flood. In most cases your home will be dry in 2-4 days.
What will happen if I try to dry the carpet out myself with a shop vac and fans?
Without the proper experience and equipment, the flooded area could take days, weeks, or months to dry. The water begins to wick up into the drywall and into the studs inside the wall. This makes a perfect environment for mold and wood destroying organisms to grow. Mold grows on wood, baseboards, drywall, and inside cabinets if the building is not quickly dried. If mold is present, the affected area must be replaced.
What about my hardwood floors?
When a hardwood floor takes in water, it will buckle within a matter of days if not properly dried. We use special moisture meters to determine how much moisture is present in the wood. If the flood has just occurred, the hardwood may be restorable.
Do I have to keep this drying equipment continuously going?
Yes. Turning it off can cause further damage. Most of our equipment has a timer to tell us how long the equipment was run.
What is this musty odor?
There is often a musty odor that is associated with a flood. This odor will dissipate soon after the building is dry. Foggers and deodorizers are used if necessary. If this odor bothers you, ask your insurance company if they will reimburse you for a hotel expense while the building is drying.
Will opening up my windows help the carpet dry faster?
No. In almost all cases we will have created a better drying environment with our drying equipment than there is by opening windows.
Will my drywall need to be replaced?
Wet drywall can be restored in most cases provided there is not mold on the drywall.
Will my insurance company pay for this?
In every situation that we have seen, the cost for water damage restoration is paid for by the insurance company (minus your deductible). Your insurance company wants you to take immediate action in stopping further damage. Every service that we do for you will appear on the bill to your insurance company. As soon as we begin the job, you’ll want to call your insurance carrier to let them know that you have a certified company drying the building for you.
How much will this cost?
We will provide you with a current price list of equipment and service costs. All of our prices are similar to other certified water damage restoration companies and are in accordance with the Bluebook of Cleaning, Reconstruction, and Repair Costs. The total cost for our service will be determined by how long the structure takes to dry.
Disclaimer: The information in this booklet is not meant for professional or legal advice. The statements mentioned are generalities and each individual case could be different.
The upholstery code should be located on a tag beneath the cushions. Use care with all upholstery, but especially with X and S codes.
Spot Removal Tips For Upholstery
First, remember to pre-test any piece in an inconspicuous area BEFORE attempting spot removal. Allow the pre-tested area to dry. If discoloration or shrinkage occurs, do not use the product.
For W and WS coded upholstery, use a Neutral PH water based cleaner such as Bi-O-Kleen’s Spray and Wipe on spots such as food spills, drink spills, light grease, etc.
For S, W, and WS coded upholstery, use a small amount of dry cleaning solvent (such as Carbona available at Wal-Mart or rubbing alcohol) applied to a cloth for oil based spots.
Upholstery Cleaning Steps
Pre-test an inconspicuous area.
Remove the excess soil with a spoon or extract liquids with a wet vacuum.
Apply the spotter to a clean cloth
Gently blot, using caution to not distort fibers.
For over 150 specific spot removal tips and information on Bi-O-Kleen products, visit www.CarpetCareTips.com or call
474-1133.
Leather Spot Removal
You can determine if your leather is protected by lightly scratching an area with your fingernail. If the scratch is not seen, it is Protected. Otherwise you have a more natural Aniline or Nubuck leather. Types of Leather:
P - Protected - (Finished, Semi Aniline, Pigmented) Protected leather products are uniform in appearance and color. This will most likely be the most durable leather type. A - Aniline - (Natural, Pure, Naked) These are Leathers that are colored with transparent dye and have very little protective treatment added. This means you are able to see the actual surface grain markings. N - Nubuck - (Chaps, Bomber, Suede) These are actually Aniline Leathers in which the surface has been brushed, and has created a texture similar to velvet. Nubuck is particularly difficult to clean.
CAUTION: Only use products made for leather! In most cases, Aniline and Nubuck should only be cleaned by a professional. Do not use saddle soaps, mink oil, or dishwashing soap. Leather products are available by calling our office at 474-1133.
Leather Cleaning Steps
Pre-test an inconspicuous area.
Remove the excess soil with a spoon or extract liquids with a wet vacuum.
Apply spotter to a cloth and gently wipe.
Clean the entire section from seam to seam otherwise water rings may occur.
protection treatments every six months to extend the life of the leather and prevent premature cracking, peeling, and color loss.
works well for general cleaning of the spot as well. Bi-O-Kleen has a neutral ph product called Spray and Wipe for this purpose.
CAUTION: DO NOT USE THESE SPOTTERS ON URINE OR VOMIT
Never use any high ph or high residue product. This would include ammonia and Resolve carpet spotter. I have seen many instances where the wrong product caused a urine stain to be permanent. The use of oxygen bleach is also risky on many carpets.
Removing the Urine Stain
After you’ve extracted the liquid and treated the spot, you’ll still have a stain on the carpet.
You’ll need to rinse the spot before it becomes a permanent stain. Use plain water to rinse the spotting agent out.
If you have a spot removal machine that allows you to rinse with water, put plain water with no detergent in the tank. Lightly rinse the area and follow with several dry vacuum passes.
If you have a wet vac, sprinkle plain water on the area and extract with the wet vac.
If urine stays in the carpet or upholstery for an extended period of time, it WILL permanently stain. Even worse, it will eventually eat away the backing of the fiber and destroy the carpet or upholstery. Not to mention the obvious unhealthy situation and odor the urine will cause.
The best thing you can do for any type of pet accident is remove it right away.
Follow all of the recommendations in this brochure. If you cannot remove the stain or odor, call us immediately at 474-1133. The longer the problem stays in the fiber, the worse the problem becomes.
For over 150 additional spot removal tips, visit our site at www.CarpetCareTips.com.
The techniques mentioned here work well for any urine, vomit, or feces spot on carpet, rugs, or upholstery. Always pre-test any spotting agent before using the product.
Can you remove pet urine stains on carpet or upholstery? We have a success rate of about 80%. However, pet urine can cause permanent damage to textiles as well as create an unhealthy indoor living environment if not removed promptly. When urine is first deposited onto a carpet or fabric, it is in a neutral state. This means it is easier to remove when it is fresh. Once the urine is allowed to dry it turns to alkaline (thus the ammonia odor) and becomes more difficult to remove. If left for weeks or months, depending on the fiber type, it could permanently change the dye structure of the fabric and cause the fiber to deteriorate. To prevent permanent staining, clean urine deposits immediately. What can be done about urine odor? We normally use enzymes to treat urine. There is a small extra charge for each quart. First, we use a special urine detector to pinpoint exactly where the urine deposits are. Then we spray enzymes only on the affected areas. The enzymes actually eat up urine bacteria. These enzymes are also for sale for you to use between cleanings. Urine is one stain we cannot have any guarantees on. The stains could be permanent, although we usually have a very good chance of removal. What to do if you have a severe urine odor? If the odor is severe, the padding beneath the carpet may need to be replaced and the sub floor treated. We also treat the face fibers with enzymes, allow time to dwell, and then extract the enzymes. If the urine is covering over half of the carpet, it may be more cost effective to replace the room of carpeting. Is vomit removable from carpeting? Yes, normally. However, the chances are reduced if an improper spot removal solution has been applied to the stain before our arrival. Also, some cat food has a red dye that permanently stains some nylon carpets. This dye is similar to the kool aid type of dye. If this occurs, we have a red dye removal system that can remove most cat vomit stains (a small extra fee applies). What can you do for recurring urine spots? First, we use our urine probe to determine exactly where the spot is. Next, we flood the area with one quart of Bi-o-kleen enzyme mixture and allow the mixture to dwell for at least 20 minutes. Last, we use our “water claw” spot lifter to pull the urine directly from the padding. This process eliminates 90% of all urine problems. If you have us do this process and the spot does return, we’ll come back at no charge to attempt removal again (we can only guarantee no spots returning on urine if the claw process is performed). Do you have a 100% Guarantee on Pet Odors? Unfortunately there is no way to completely guarantee odors of any type. The reason is that the odor may not only be in the carpet. It may be under the padding on the cement or wood beneath the carpet. It may also be on the baseboards, drapes, walls, etc. Furthermore, one cleaning may not be sufficient to take care of a severe urine odor. Sometimes return trips are necessary. How can I take care of pet problems myself? We have two excellent products available to help you do your own pet stain removal. We recommend the Spray and Wipe Cleaner or the Bi-O-Kleen Enzymes for more difficult pet problems. Click here to purchase Bi-O-Kleen Products for Sale In conjunction with the Bi-O-Kleen products, we strongly recommend that you purchase a small wet vacuum or spot machine such as Bissel or Dirt Devil to extract the liquid out of the carpet. Paper towels never do as good of a job as a wet vacuum.

What YOU Must Do:
4 Steps YOU Must Take
Don’t panic. You’ve already made the right first move by calling a professional.
Make sure the source of the water is stopped and problem fixed.
Remove anything that will be effected by moisture.
Make a list of damaged items to turn in to your adjuster.
Please note: If you call a professional immediately, the possibility for further damage is minimized. Most homeowner insurance policies encourage the homeowner to call a professional to prevent further damage.
Your right to chose a qualified company Some insurance companies will lead you to believe that you must use the company that they refer. Often times, their “preferred vender” is not certified by the IICRC. What’s worse is that often their company is chosen based on the cheapest prices. The contractor that the insurance company sends out may not be working in your best interest, but in the best interest of the insurance company. You have a legal right to use the company of your choice.

Professional Flood Damage Clean-up
Your home will be back into the condition it was before the flood as fast as possible. We offer 24 hour service for flood emergencies.
Our Water Damage Clean-up Procedure:
Moisture detection. We use moisture meters and probes to determine where the water is and how much moisture has soaked into drywall and wood.
Water extraction. We use our powerful truck mounted vacuum with a special tool that extracts water directly from the padding. We then spend extra time dry extracting as much water as possible.
Drying equipment placement. Based on the amount of water, drying equipment will be put in place to quickly evaporate the remainder of water in the building.
Equipment monitoring. An IICRC certified technician stops by regularly to meter the drying status and place the equipment in an ideal area for faster drying.
Call us for 24 hour flood damage clean-up at
474-1133
Our Leather Cleaning Procedure:
Dye testing. We’ll exam the piece for color fastness and clean-ability.
Soil suspension. A leather cleaning agent is used to dry clean the surface.
Extraction. Dry cleaning sponges are used to extract the soils.
Conditioning. All leather is protected and conditioned in order to keep the leather stain resistant, resistant to cracking , and soft.
For a FREE furniture cleaning estimate please call Premium Carpet Care at 474-1133 or www.CarpetCareTips.com.
This is a water claw sub-surface extractor tool. The water claw procedure works well to combat urine odors and stains. We also have systems to remove vomit stains. Please call our office at 474-1133 with questions or for an appointment.

474-1133

Look for this IICRC logo when hiring a company. Certified technicians have the proper training to dry your flooded building out in the shortest time possible. Visit www.IICRC.org for a certified company near you.

“Water Claw” pulls water from the carpet padding

Provided as an educational
resource by:

www.CarpetCareTips.com