Every summer across Pennsylvania, storms move over rural and urban areas alike. For the most part, these storms bring rains critical to halting drought, ending heat waves, and other benefits. However, some storms also have high winds, heavy rain, and lighting that can all lead to building damage or flooding. While most of these rainstorms are not going to rip through a roof like a tornado would, there is a real risk of flood damage to your home throughout the summer months. Annual rainfall in Pennsylvania is an average of 34-52 inches between regions, and more than 20 of those inches come during the summer. One lesson the extreme flooding brought by Hurricane Ida in the summer of 2021 taught us is to seek professional help to reverse water damage is necessary. This summer, if rainstorms bring destruction to your home in any way, ServiceMaster Professional Cleaning and Restoration can help. We provide comprehensive water damage restoration in Downingtown, PA, and the surrounding communities, including repairs and mold mitigation.
Water Damage Restoration
If water damage restoration is not done by an expert, a number of risks could develop in your home. You may see a continued low-quality indoor air and lack of filtration. You may have humidity that never goes away. Worst of all, you may have significant levels of mold growth in crawl spaces and other hidden areas.
Water Damage from Flooding
Heavy bouts of rainfall increase the risk of flooding because the water compromises both natural and human-made irrigation and drainage systems. Failure of both these factors together means the water has nowhere to go and will be much more likely to find its way into basement and lower level of your home.
Natural: Drainage systems that occur naturally include the absorption of moisture into topsoil, clay and sandy areas, rivers, creaks, streams, and other bodies of water that can take extra rainfall. Trees and other deep-rooted plants, rocks, and grass also protect areas from oversaturation and erosion during times of heavy rain. If these are not common in your area or rainfall is exceptionally heavy, natural systems can easily be overwhelmed and flooded.
Human-made: We install multiple measures to prevent flooding in our communities and our homes. Drainage ditches, irrigation lines, sewers, and underground pipes all help to control water flow when storms occur. In buildings, sump pumps, drains, window and door seals, gutters, and other components all keep flooding at bay, unless they are damaged in some way or eventually overpowered by continual rains.
Summary
ajor flooding definitely needs professional attention, but even excess humidity over extended periods of time can require expert mold removal and deodorization. To learn more about our services for water damage restoration in Downingtown, PA, contact ServiceMaster Professional Cleaning and Restoration at (610) 524-8003 to reach our main office.