Commercial Water Damage near Tallahassee

3/22/2017 (Permalink)

Drying out cinder blocks is not totally straightforward because of inside spaces. Call SERVPRO and let us put our experience to work for you.

Area Businesses Depend on SERVPRO's Adept Water Damage Remediation Skills

Water damage, especially flooding, closes the doors on Florida businesses every year. The weather looks pretty nice for our area over the next week, but that can change in a matter of hours.

Water removal in a commercial structure in Tallahassee or anywhere else in Leon County is not a short and straightforward procedure. Storage facilities are not necessarily vulnerable to many types of damage, but their construction means a more difficult task in getting rid of water and moisture. Fortunately, SERVPRO has the experience, training, and equipment needed to get the job done.

The cinder block building materials in storage units and facilities make for an interesting set of problems. Standing water usually drains itself except for small areas that pump out rather quickly. The difficulty with cinder blocks is removing moisture trapped inside the walls. Each block has an open space or cell in the middle. Each block retains a surprising amount of moisture normally and blocks that have been under water or otherwise exposed (excessive rain for example) may contain standing water. Once this occurs, the blocks begin to sweat. Sweating is the process of the moisture slowly passing through the cinder block to the exterior.

Sweating increases the air moisture level of the inside of the facility, which raises the possibility of damage to boxes and property. For boxes stacked against a sweating wall, moisture quickly begins soaking the box and anything inside.

To remove the water or moisture, our technicians drill a hole in the joints between the blocks. This hole, through the mortar at a point near the floor; is an easily patched exit point and is unnoticeable to pretty much anyone except a mason.

The exit point provides a drain for water, and additional points increase airflow through the open cells. This increased flow also accelerates the sweating process as well. If the internal moisture is very high, technicians set up dehumidifiers. These machines remove over 20 gallons of water from the surrounding air every 24 hours.

Non-penetrating moisture meters are used to ensure moisture levels are back to normal inside and outside the walls. If the interior levels are still high, additional exit points are drilled into the mortar to improve airflow at higher points on the walls.

Protecting your business and the property of your customers is a top priority for SERVPRO of North Leon County. If you suspect that your facility has damage from recent flooding, contact us today at (850) 536-6599. We are here to help.