May
7
May is the time for getting outside and enjoying the great outdoors. It’s also a time for water damage from the many different sources of water we use around the house. In order to stay safe and protect yourself from the risk of water damage, add these 7 items to your spring cleaning this month.
1. How old is your sprinkler system? Older sprinkler systems risk cracked or broken pipes both above and below ground. If the ground gets too saturated, it may flow into your basement.
2. Check out your roof. It’s easy to forget about the roof as its difficult to see without climbing up. But a missing shingle, hail or wind damage, or an improperly installed vent, flue or chimney can result in a leaky roof.
3. Trim away branches and overgrown landscaping. Constant friction between a branch and your siding or roof can lead to cracks and holes, which could result in a slow leak.
4. Clean and inspect outside windows and doors. Water and moisture can seep in if they aren’t regularly maintained. Repair or replace caulking, weather stripping or seals as appropriate.
5. Check around crawl spaces and the foundation for any signs of a leak. Poor or compacted insulation may be a sign of water damage, and should be replaced.
6. Check for moisture in areas where you haven’t watered. A puddle either inside or outside could indicate a leak, drip or crack. This can be a sign of a potentially bigger problem, including flooding and mold.
7. Check new additions or repairs. Have you had a new addition added to your home, or replaced or repaired a chimney, air conditioner, attic fan or cooling system over the past year? After the long hard winter, check around the new addition to make sure everything is intact.
Jan
28
When certain things get soaked in a flood, there’s just no way to save them. Carpet padding is one of them. When carpet padding is soaked and sits in water even for just a few minutes, it becomes a perfect breeding ground for mold growth.
Carpet padding is used as both an insulator and a sound dampener, and comes in a variety of materials and thicknesses. Typically padding will be made out of natural or synthetic fibers, rubber or foam, and is made to retain moisture and odors that spill onto the carpet. While it’s made to handle small spills, floodwater is too much for it to handle.
It’s also necessary to remove any items from the flood area, and dry them thoroughly before placing them back into your home. Carpet padding is usually either nailed or glued to the flooring, and can’t be removed for drying without destroying it.
Although carpet padding can’t be saved, it is possible to save carpets if you act immediately. If possible, completely pull up the carpet, and move it to an area where it can completely dry. By bringing in a water damage expert, they can help you assess the overall damage, and provide the right cleaning process to save as much of your carpet as possible. Carpets need to be cleaned and dried completely, as well as disinfected before you place it back into your room.
While the carpet is up, remove and discard the padding. Also thoroughly clean and disinfect the flooring underneath before replacing the padding and the carpet.
The key to water damage cleanup is to make sure everything is thoroughly dry before you move on. Mold can start in the tiniest of places, and quickly turn into an overwhelming problem. It’s better to spend the extra time putting your room back in order, and making sure everything is clean and dry, then have to redo the entire area because of a mold buildup later.
Jan
14
Tips To Avoid Water Damage
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Before the snow melts, or the heavy rains of spring and summer start, make sure your home 
is fully prepared to avoid water damage.
Test your sump pump
Most homes in Colorado have basements and/or crawl spaces. Anytime you have living or storage areas below ground level, you’re susceptible to water damage. If you’ve ever had water in your basement, now may be the time to install a sump pump. If you already have one in place, make sure you test it regularly. In heavy conditions, you may also choose to have a spare to handle heavy water drainage.
Plan and be prepared
If you are remodeling or designing basement living areas, work with a contractor who has the knowledge of restoration as well. They will be trained on prevention methods before problems occur, and can check out community plans for water tables and underground rivers. Understanding the layout of your home, and possible issues can help you plan and prepare as you upgrade your home.
Keep water away from the foundation
When planting and planning landscaping, keep plants that require a lot of water away from the foundation. Move snow away from the house. Keep water out of window wells, and contour the ground so water flows away from the house instead of standing and soaking into the ground. Put in rainspouts to move water away from the foundation.
Keep important materials away from areas where potential flooding is a problem
If you’ve had flooding or water standing in the basement, make sure you keep personal belongings out of the areas with the greatest potential. Keep family heirlooms like photographs and albums on higher levels of the home.
Dec
23
Denver Water Damage
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What if you return home to Denver and find water damage in or around your home?
While it’s the last thing any of us want to have happen, especially after spending a peaceful holiday with family and friends, when winter hits in Denver it can bring many things.
If your indoor pipes aren’t properly insulated; your heat drops too low, causing pipes to freeze; or your outside pipes have been left exposed, you may come home to several inches of water.
As a locally owned restoration company, we’ve been helping many Denver residents recover from water damage of all types.
We start by assessing the problem. In order to avoid further problems down the road, it’s important to locate and correct the original problem.
Then we remove water, saving as many of your personal assets as possible. We realize that different items need different care; we work with many types of disasters and can refer you to the best help possible.
After the water is removed, its important to analyze your house for structural damage, and to determine if mold has penetrated through to your walls, floorboards, baseboards, or carpeting. Mold can be difficult to find by non-experts until it does extensive damage both to your home, and possible to your family through medical complications. The quicker it’s found and removed the better.
Whether you have an emergency this holiday season, or come back to Denver to find water damage within your home, call the experts at Paul Davis Restoration to help you get back on track.
Dec
4
Clean Up After Pipes Freezing
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Hello wintertime here in Colorado. The first dip in temperatures helps us realize we are truly in a cold climate. While it may help you get into the mood of the holidays, it can also wreck havoc on your pipes if you aren’t prepared.
If a pipe isn’t properly insulated, or is subjected to severe cold like we’ve been getting here this week, there’s a possibility of it freezing. When water freezes within a pipe, it expands the pipe. A pipe typically will not burst where it freezes. Instead it blocks the pipe, causing water pressure to build up downstream from the ice blockage, somewhere between the blockage and a closed faucet. If enough pressure builds up, it will burst the pipe, allowing water to spill out. If you are home and know the burst occurred, you can shut the water supply off quickly, and 
begin cleanup immediately. However if you aren’t home and don’t realize the breakage occurred for several hours, or worse, several days, you may be in for a huge mess.
Once you discover the problem, start by shutting off the water supply as quickly as possible.
Also turn off power to any electrical outlets and appliances in the affected area. Only then is it safe to start assessing the damage.
If you end up with several inches of water in the room, instead of trying to remove the water and clean up the damage yourself, in may be time to talk with your insurance company about using a water restoration company. A water restoration contractor can help you assess the damage you can see, and the damage you can’t.
While it’s easy to see water stains on the wallboard, or drapes and furniture damaged by water, its what you can’t see that can cause you the most damage.
- Damage to the structure of your home
- Mold caused by sitting water
- Damage behind the walls, under carpeting, or within the ceiling
While you might not see this type of damage immediately, it may be there and will continue to spread until it’s fixed. What started out as a relatively small problem could easily snowball to a potentially devastating problem.
Sep
3
Whether you have on inch or one foot of water in your basement, proper cleanup is necessary to prevent more problems down the road. Here are 10 things to check as you are cleaning up your basement flood damage.
1. Crawl space
Most homes in Colorado have a basement, a crawl space, or a combination of both. Make sure you check in both areas thoroughly for any signs of water damage when a flood occurs. The damage may be in different ways, and may show up with different characteristics.
2. Water damage
To thoroughly clean up after a flood, your first step is to pump out all of the water. Water can affect the floors, walls and property that it comes in with physical contact with, as well as influence other types of damage in the long term.
3. Sewage backup
What was the cause 
of the flood? Especially in older homes, tree and landscaping can cause severe damage to pipes and sewer lines. If sewer lines were involved in the flooding, its important to remove waste particles and to repair the damage quickly to prevent more flooding.
4. Carpet damage
Water damage affects the carpet and the padding, as well as the subfloor that it is installed over. Each section needs to be treated separately as quickly as possible.
Aug
13
Water Damage Prevention – 5 Questions To Ask Before It Happens
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1. What should I watch for in the kitchen to know when I have water damage?
There are certain areas within the kitchen that are prone 
for potential water damage. Keep a close eye in and around the sink area. A slow draining pipe, cracked tile, missing grout, spots in the cabinet under the sink, soft or stained walls and floors can all signal you may have a problem. Also watch for moisture around the base of the dishwasher, and on the floor and behind the refrigerator.
2. Can the vents in my attic be a potential threat for water damage?
Yes, anywhere there is an option for water to come into the home is a potential threat for water damage. If your attic has vents, its important to keep them in place for proper ventilation. Have them inspected regularly to make sure water damage has not occurred.
May
27
1. Turn off the water supply. When you discover damage, the most important thing is to stop the supply to prevent further damage. If there is a
leak from the toilet, simply turning off the water supply to the toilet may be enough. If you have a leaking or broken pipe, you may have to turn off the water supply to the entire house.
2. Begin removing excess water. Use towels, rags and a shop vac to soak up excess water within the bathroom. Remove curtains, towels, rugs and other items to reduce the chances of sitting water.
3. Ventilate the area as much as possible. Open windows in the bathroom, or near the area to bring in airflow.
Apr
21
Pets and Water Damage
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When most people think of water damage, they instantly think of their property. Can your personal items be restored or replaced? 
But how does it impact the things most precious to us? How does it impact our pets?
If you have any pets in your home after you sustain damage, remove them as quickly as possible. Different types of pets require different action.
If you have fish, change out the water. Thoroughly clean any materials within the fish tank, such as plants, rocks, and any display items. Move them to a safe part of the home, or to a new home until you complete restoration.
Apr
15
Water Damage Disasters
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Water damage can be one of the biggest disasters we face within our home and around our property. Here’s a collection of photographs to show you some amazing water damage disasters, and to help you keep in mind how important it is to fix problems around your home quickly before they turn into disasters.
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