Protect Your Bloomington Home From Water Damage

4/25/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Bloomington handles all water damage remediation needs.

There are many ways to help protect your Bloomington, Indiana home from water damages. Water losses occur when water finds its way outside of the appliances you rely on to run your household’s daily needs. When we think about the causes of severe water damage to our homes, we usually think about extreme weather like a hurricane or torrential rains. But the unfortunate reality is that extensive damage is often the result of ordinary household plumbing systems and appliances that fail – and these can be just as destructive to your home as an extreme weather event.

Preventative Measures

Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to help prevent water damage from plumbing problem in your Bloomington home. It is helpful to understand some of the common causes of water damage.

These may include:

• Heating and air-conditioning systems

• Water heaters

• Valves

• Appliances

• Pipes and plumbing fixtures

How to Detect Water Damages

Water damage can often go undetected, even if the telltale signs are there. Plumbing that is housed inside the walls of your home, in less-trafficked areas like a basement or attic, or behind a cabinet or appliance, can easily go unnoticed. That’s why it’s important to check your appliances and plumbing from time to time.

• Know where the main water supply enters your home, locate the main shut-off valve and make sure it’s functioning properly.
• If you will be away from home for an extended period, consider shutting off the water supply, but consult with a heating professional first to understand if doing so will compromise any other systems in your home. Maintain a temperature of at least 55 degrees in your home. Also, if your home is protected by a fire sprinkler system, do not turn off the water to this system, and maintain sufficient heat to prevent a freeze-up.
• Consider having your air-conditioning system inspected regularly by a professional. Check around the unit for indications of leaks. Check the drain lines annually and clean them if they are clogged. Change the air filter annually at a minimum.
• Inspect water heaters, showers, tubs, toilets, sinks, dishwashers, refrigerators and washing machines annually, and have them repaired if there are signs of leaks or corrosion. Be sure to include supply lines, hoses, connections and fittings in the inspection.
• Check caulking around showers, bathtubs, sinks and toilet bases, and make repairs as needed.
• If your refrigerator has an ice machine or water dispenser, check the hose between the wall and the refrigerator to determine if it is pinched or stressed. Also look for signs of leaking or wear and tear.
• Check exposed plumbing (pipes, valves, etc.) for signs of leaking or corrosion. Have any pipe damage fixed immediately to prevent more costly repairs in the future.

For any questions or concerns about water damage in your home, call SERVPRO of Bloomington at (812) 824-2027. 

Water damage due to a plumbing issue in your home can be life-changing. But there are some common signs that homeowners can look for, and steps they can take, to help avoid a major water issue at home.

Consider this example:

A homeowner and his family head off for a three-week vacation. While they’re away, a minor toilet leak grows, until it reaches a pace of three gallons of water per minute. By the time the homeowners returned from their three-week vacation, the unaddressed leak had poured more than 30,000 gallons of water into their home. The water ruined furniture, fixtures and irreplaceable family valuables, and rendered the property virtually uninhabitable for an extended period of time.

But this is just a cautionary tale. The following guidance is meant to help you learn about the potential water issues from common plumbing problems and how you can take steps to help prevent disaster.

Causes For Plumbing Problems

Plumbing issues can occur anywhere in your home. Frequently, lack of maintenance is the root cause of these problems. However, other causes can include:

• Manufacturing and design defects.
• Installation errors.
• Exposure to cleaning products (for example, by storing chemicals under the sink or by cleaning surfaces of plumbing components).

If caught early, many plumbing problems can be addressed before serious damage occurs. For this reason, regular inspection of your home’s visible plumbing parts can be critical. Knowing the lifespan of parts and appliances is also important, as is properly maintaining the other parts of your home and its features and systems.

Signs to Look For

Want to help prevent plumbing complications from damaging your home and potentially resulting in expensive property damage or loss? Start by visually inspecting your plumbing on a regular basis. Look for drips and slow leaks. Be sure to check the areas surrounding your pipes as well. If you see water damage on cabinetry or other nearby materials, there may be an active leak that you’ll want to locate.

Your entire home plumbing system may not be visible, but there are certain places in your home where you can readily inspect plumbing components:

• Under sinks and washtubs.
• Inside access panels near showers, sinks or appliances.
• Attachments to toilets, water heaters and appliances.
• Basements and crawl spaces.

You will want to look at any piping, valves and fittings in the areas listed above. Leaks are most common at connection points, so pay close attention to the plumbing connections on faucets, washing machines, refrigerators, dishwashers, water heaters, water filtration systems, shut-off valves and toilets. Your home’s piping system may also have multiple connections between various sections of pipe. Appliances and fixtures themselves can cause problems, so be sure to inspect those as well, and keep up with any regular maintenance recommended by the manufacturer.

The signs of a problem will vary by component. For example, problems in copper piping may look very different from problems in PEX, a common type of plastic piping. In general, you want to look for signs of corrosion, cracking, hazing, discoloration and mineral deposits from a water leak.

For any questions or concerns about water damage in your home, call SERVPRO of Bloomington at (812) 824-2027.

Water and Flooding Can Damage Your Home or Business

8/17/2022 (Permalink)

When water damage hits your home be sure to give SERVPRO a call right away. The importance of getting SERVPRO on site is that we can prevent further damage from being created from the damage being untreated. 

There are a variety of safe practices to help prevent water damages to your home or business.  Such as cleaning out gutters, checking your sump pump, clearing out drains and ditches, and keeping your hoses disconnected when not in use. 

But, what do you do when an accident happens that you couldn’t have prevented such as broken pipes, sewer backup or heavy rainfall?  The first 24 hours after a loss is crucial.  This is how long it can take for mold to start developing, even with the smallest amounts of water.  

Make sure to give SERVPRO of Bloomington, IN a call at 812-824-2027 to get a specialized team out to your property as soon as possible so they may start the mitigation process. 

Does Insurance Cover Your Water Loss?

8/7/2022 (Permalink)

When it comes to water in the home, some leaks are small and are easily cleaned up and fixed by the homeowner or a local handyman.  But, what do you do when the project at hand is too much to handle on your own?  

Give SERVPRO of Bloomington, Indiana a call at 812-824-2027 and let our water mitigation experts get your place back to its pre-damaged condition faster.

You may be asking if your insurance will cover a claim like this.  Let one of our skilled project managers help walk you through the claims process and give you a better peace of mind.  Not to mention our skilled team members use the most advanced equipment to extract and dry out all affected areas in the home. 

Its important to not let water damage sit over time, by calling in our professional team to take care of it can save you in the long run from further damage. 

Water Damage in Bloomington, IN

7/21/2022 (Permalink)

Noticing a small water spot around a baseboard or some bubbling in your ceiling may not seem like a big deal, but knowing when to call a professional can make a huge difference in the overall quality of your home or business.  Giving one of our trained technicians at SERVPRO of Bloomington, Indiana a call at 812-824-2027 could save you in the long run.  

Leaks can carry contaminants that can be dangerous to anyone who comes into contact with it.  Also, depending on the area, water damages could become an electrical hazard or even cause structural damage to the property.  If not treated within a timely manner, said water could cause mold and mildew issues, which once again can be dangerous to those occupying the building.  Give us a call at the first site of any size water damage to get a trained professional out to look at the potential cause of the leak and prevent any further damage to the structure. 

Your First Call When Water Damage Occurs

12/27/2021 (Permalink)

Your home or business has been hit with a pipe burst or flooded from rains, do you know what your next step is? Flooding is a serious issue as it can have lasting effects on your home or business from structurally to affecting the air quality if not dried properly.  Make that first call to SERVPRO of Bloomington.

With over 50 years in the water restoration industry SERVPRO offers best in class service with the best in equipment and trained and certified staff. 

It is imperative following any type of water event in your home or business to call SERVPRO to help begin the drying process. Water can saturate the structure further aggravating the damage done to the property. 

We also have leading edge technology to help dry in places where demolition isn’t necessary to help save money and save on time. We also carry a full line of products that can help dry hardwood floors without replacing them.

50 years strong and the next 50 years look even stronger as we continually make improvements to the services we offer. Got water damage? Give us a call today at 812-824-2027.

Commercial Water Damage in Bloomington, IN

7/8/2021 (Permalink)

Is your business prepared if it gets flooded? Recently our crews were called out to a large commercial structure that sustained water damage from a fire sprinkler system failure. With our 24-7-365 service you can rest assured SERVPRO of Bloomington will be on scene quickly to get the business back in operations.

We know the importance of getting your business back to business as quickly as possible as time is certainly money.  Using state of the art and industrial strength equipment in addition to having the best in trained staff to handle any disaster. 

We also have large desiccants available that are used to take moisture out of large structures to help lessen drying time. In addition these large desiccants are generator powered so if the power is out we can still dry out the building.

Find out more about how SERVPRO of Bloomington can handle your fire, water or mold damage needs with a call to 812-824-2027.

Heavy Rains in Elletsville, IN

7/3/2021 (Permalink)

Heavy rains with failed sump pumps have been a major concern for home owners in the area. There are a few ways to help keep water out of your basement but it's always good to know the water damage experts at SERVPRO of Bloomington are here just in case.  

A few things to check before the next big rain include:

• Make sure drainage, gutters and downspouts are cleared of any debris.
• Adding extensions off of downspouts to ensure water is flowing away from your home
• Testing sump pumps at least once a month to make sure they are still working
• Make sure sump pump plumbing is also ejecting water far away from the house
• Making sure all debris is cleared from the roof and make sure to have your roof inspected annually.

Of course if your water takes on any water from flooding from the inside or out, SERVPRO of Bloomington is here to help. Got water damage? Call 812-824-2027.

Water Damage in your Bedford, IN Home Or Business

4/17/2021 (Permalink)

Water damage can strike at any time of the day, that's why the Professionals at SERVPRO are on call 24-7 for your emergencies. From homes, apartments to commercial structures, no water is too big or too small for SERVPRO to handle.  With state of the art water extraction equipment to industrial strength fans and dehumidification equipment we have the equipment to get you dry in no time.  

We are also able to take care of some water damages with the use of the newest technology without having to remove flooring or walls through a unique process. Our trained staff has been thoroughly educated on knowing the signs of water damage as well as the best and least invasive ways possible to remove the water. 

If you have any questions, or have had water damage,  please contact your local office at 812-824-2027.

How To Tell If Your Water Heater Is Failing

3/29/2021 (Permalink)

Its something we never really check on yet we depend on it every day. It's our water heater. We've recently seen several calls for water and even mold remediation after a water heater failure.  

From a lack of hot water, small leaks and even a whole house full of water, there are several ways to know before it goes:

• From no hot water or inconsistent hot water availability
• You notice any water around the water heater
• Reduction of hot water flow
• Odd odors or discolored water
• Any sounds out of the ordinary
• Older water heater units

Unfortunately what we see the most is large amounts of water into the home from a failed water heater. 

It's not only the water that is the concern, it's the chance of mold forming in those areas as well.

Water Damage In Your Home

2/15/2021 (Permalink)

When is a good time to inspect your water system in your household? Well it's pretty common that no one really checks in on it until after there is an issue with it. In some cases it's pretty difficult to be able to inspect every linear foot of your water pipes, but there are a few ways to check. 

Pay close attention to your water bill as it may show excessive water usage or above normal usage

Unusual water found in or around your crawl space

Damp floors or water seeping up from the floor

Mold forming inside your home around baseboards or around cabinets

Check on water heaters, and consider replacing if old 

Best thing to do once you discover water in your home or business? Call the professionals at SERVPRO for a free damage estimate  and inspection at 812-824-2027 to get the water extracted from your home.

Have You Checked Your Gutter System Lately?

10/27/2020 (Permalink)

Clogged Gutters

Now that we are well into the fall season, SERVPRO of Bloomington wants to remind homeowners about an important functioning item we tend to overlooked each year, your gutters.
Although you may not think about it, the state of your gutters can affect many other areas of your family's property, which includes your roof and foundation. If your gutters fail to function they way they are intended to do they can wreck havoc on your home or business . The most common problem that homeowners face with their gutters is that they fail to drain or channel excess rainwater far enough away from your foundation. That excess water can back up under your home's foundation or into your basement. If rain water doesn't travel through your gutters freely, it's most likely because the gutters are clogged with leaves or debris. This is especially common during this season when trees are dropping their leaves. If you have clogged gutters it can often lead to costly foundation repairs that can cost thousands of dollars. Having your gutters regularly cleaned (at least once or twice a year) can prevent a major water damage from happening to your property.

if you are concerned about your gutters not functioning property, SERVPRO of Bloomington encourages you to have them inspected by a qualified company to avoid any future water damage from gutters that are clogged.

When water backs up into your basement our foundation, it very well may be a gutter system that is not functioning properly. Be sure and call the cleanup team that is "Faster To Any Size Disaster" in the event water damage strikes your home or business. 

Spring Time Inspection

3/18/2019 (Permalink)

As spring is getting closer, more rain seems likely so it might be a great time to inspect your gutters to see if they might need some maintenance. Gutters full of debris can cause a lot of water damage. You should inspect them frequently. If they are full and clogging the downspouts, the overflow of water could be going in all the wrong places such as your walls. Water damage can become a major issue if not handled quickly. Checking things such as the guttering and outdoor water spickets can help prevent huge problems as well as prevent huge expenses. Regular maintenance is key to preventing water damage on the outside. For people with outdoor pools and fountains, checking all hoses and connectors is a great idea and should be a part of your spring time inspection as well! We can't always prevent all types of water damage but the ones we can will help to minimize the possibility! Take a little time now for your own peace of mind! We see a lot of water damage at SERVPRO that could have been prevented! Create your own spring time inspection list and enjoy your spring! 

Working with the damaged area

2/20/2019 (Permalink)

Portion of Train Town!!!!

We have seen a lot of different situations and each has its own plan to correct the issue. In this case, we have water damage at a residence due to flooding. The residence has an extremely detailed and in depth train community. The entire setup of train and the town are up on stilts. Extracting the area with an RX20 was not an option due to all the legs from the train town every few feet. It was not possible to get more than a wand in between the legs, and it would have been almost impossible to relocate the entire setup. Our technician had to do some seriously planning. He used a a special mix of our fans and the dehumidifiers set to not disturb the client's hard work. Although complicated, we at SERVPRO kept the client and their town right on track!

Flooding in Monroe County

2/13/2019 (Permalink)

Salvation Army

Our team spent Saturday at the Salvation Army. The Severe flooding happening in Monroe County has taken quite a toll on the area. The flooding hit so many places here and in the surrounding area. We have been very busy. SERVPRO, we are here when you need us!!

Is it any wonder ?

1/23/2018 (Permalink)

Can you say Water damage? We can.

Here in Indiana, the weather is a huge issue in the winter.

General Information

1/18/2017 (Permalink)

24 Hour Emergency Water Damage Service

Category: Water Damage

Photo Caption: SERVPRO of Monroe, Lawrence, Owen, Greene and Martin counties provides 24 hour fire and water damage restoration service in our 5 counties

SERVPRO  is available 24 hours a day for water emergencies, large or small. When you are dealing with water damage, immediate action is crucial. A delay of just a few hours can greatly increase the severity of the water damage.

We Answer the Phone Ready to Help
Call Today - 812-275-2244
We understand that when you call us, you may be feeling confused, stressed, and vulnerable. You need an expert to guide you through this crisis. SERVPRO has the specific water damage training and experience to help you through this tough time. We specialize in water damage restoration—in fact, it's the cornerstone of our business.

What to Expect
When you call, we will ask several questions regarding your water damage emergency. These questions will help us determine what equipment and resources to bring, including how many trained SERVPRO Professionals may be needed.

Our SERVPRO Representative will ask several questions:

Your name and contact information
Your insurance information (if applicable)
The street address of the water-damaged home or business
When did the flooding or water damage occur?
What caused the water damage (if known)?
Is there electricity available (on-site)?
About SERVPRO of Monroe, Lawrence, Owen, Greene and Martin Counties specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke,water damage event, sewer backups and vandalism. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

We are IICRC certified and perform background checks on all employees