What Can You Do to Bring Down the Costs of Saltwater Intrusion in Your Property?

5/2/2020 (Permalink)

When flooding from salt or freshwater enter your Naples property, it is a relief to see the SERVPRO trucks show up for extraction!

SERVPRO Can Use Methods to Mitigate Saltwater Flooding Incidents to Your Naples Home

Saltwater flooding in Naples can be particularly harmful to your property because it is naturally corrosive. By contacting SERVPRO saltwater removal specialists, you can fight back against potential harm to your property.

How does saltwater intrusion occur, and what effect does it have on my home?

Saltwaters can effect Naples area oceanside properties in coastal areas. When ocean water enters aquifers in coastal regions, it can lead to groundwater flooding. Groundwater flooding can occur from a rising sea level due to hurricanes, storms, or as a result of heavy rainfall. Property owners may find that the most severely affected areas are the crawlspace of the home, which can fill with saltwater and become tough to restore due to restrictive access for tools and equipment.

Saltwater can cause more damage than clean water because of the corrosive nature of salt. On metals, this type of flooding can cause faster rusting as well as warping and weakening of building materials. Traditional plasters, drywall, and paint in your home can also suffer adversely from exposure to salt. Documents and other materials may yellow or suffer significant damage requiring advanced restoration techniques. On woods or other materials, salts can become absorbed below the surface level leading to erosion, cracking, or forms other permanent harm.

What are the essential steps when encountering saltwater flooding?

    •    Freezing valuable documents until restorers arrive can help to mitigate loss

    •    Salt ions have an electrical charge, which can increase the likelihood of circuit faults. Shut off the power supply to your home immediately.
    •    If it is safe to do so, remove items from the impacted area. Use sheets or other tarpaulins to place items onto and prevent spreading damages throughout the home.
    •    Avoid using the home's plumbing system, which may be adversely affected by the presence of saltwater. Where possible, shut-off water supply to the home.
    •    We suggest waiting for us to inspect wet documents and photos

Which is tougher to restore in a property, saltwater or freshwater?

While both types of water can cause significant, saltwater intrusion can make it more challenging to bring your back to its original condition. We recommend using professional restorers in all types of floodwater recovery. However, in saltwater flooding, water migration into cavities could cause long-term severe structural damage or collapse. Ensuring you provide a professional inspection of your home to avoid long-term harm is essential.

How long does it take to recover a property that has saltwater encroachment?

Properties with saltwater intrusion typically take longer to restore than those with damage from a fresh water supply. Professional restorers may need to perform extraction twice over. They are first using appropriate pumping equipment to reduce standing water levels. We may then need to flush out the affected area using pressure hoses to remove and reduce the salt content of residual moisture. Using extraction devices, we can then remove residual moisture before applying cleaning products or drying procedures to the affected area. Often, you can expect some controlled demolition to remove unrestorable wallboards and carpeting.

How can I remove water from an area with restrictive access, such as a crawlspace?

Crawlspaces are among the most likely areas of flooding when groundwater swells occur in your community. Many pumping equipment or extraction units may be too large to place inside a crawlspace. By adapting our technology using flex hosing or ducting, SERVPRO technicians may be able to reduce the standing water level to an appropriate level before sealing the crawlspace and creating ducting shafts for dehumidification.

How can I safeguard my home against potential saltwater intrusion or groundwater flooding?

    •    Install vapor barriers in the crawlspace of your home to prevent groundwaters from affecting the upper floors (encapsulation)
    •    Keep up to date with weather warnings in the local area and from the government for groundwater swelling
    •    Ensure that your insurance provider covers saltwater flooding and that your insurance documents are up to date
    •     Airbricks as well as tanking the lower levels of your home can help to prevent groundwaters from rising through the upper levels of your home
    •     Keep track of and maintain drainage systems in your home including sump pumps, gutters, and drains

How long does groundwater flooding take to fix?

Groundwater swells can last several days or weeks. This can be a challenge for restorers to manage as water continues to rise over a more extended period. In effect, it may be necessary to remove standing water from the home continually. SERVPRO can assist you by temporarily sealing your property to prevent groundwaters from reaching upper levels. We can also return daily to the site to perform the extraction. Once groundwater swelling has subsided, our team can work with you to bring your oceanside property back to its original condition.

Valuable oceanside properties can be at a particular risk of harm from saltwater intrusion into aquifers. These situations can sometimes lead to groundwater flooding or contaminated water supply. If you suspect damage, contact SERVPRO of Naples / Marco Island at (239) 302-5700 immediately.