How Does Permeability Affect Water Mitigation in Levittown Homes?

1/4/2022 (Permalink)

Drying mats help mitigate water damage in Levittown homes. SERVPRO offers a wide variety of water extraction and drying equipment

Water removal can be more challenging with porous materials in Levittown properties.

From burst pipes to appliance wear, there are dozens of causes of water damage that keep our SERVPRO team ready 24/7 to help. When mitigation is needed, from content cleaning to water removal, we are Here to Help.

The Three Types of Porosity

Water damage for Levittown homes can vary based on the types of materials affected by spreading water. Often, this is a matter of determining the absorbent qualities of the material or its porosity. This is broken into three primary categories:

• Porous –Carpeted floors and drywall rapidly absorb water damage, making them porous materials.
• Semi-Porous –Many hardwoods fall under this heading as they have an initial resistance to water penetration with a finish but can succumb to water infiltration with prolonged exposures.
• Non-Porous –Ceramic tile and concrete (certain types) are good examples of non-porous materials, as water rarely penetrates these elements. 

Threats of Hygroscopic Materials

Carpets and similar materials and building elements are high-porosity installations, meaning that with water exposure, they can become oversaturated fast. This allows moisture migration beyond the initial upper layer of fibers to padding and the subflooring beneath it. It is critical to act rapidly to remove trapped water when possible before the water migrates into the subflooring and causes permanent damage.

Advanced Water Removal Tools

Clearing water damage is rarely as simple as eliminating pooling moisture on the surface. With high-porosity materials, solutions must exist to pull trapped water to the surface level for extraction. Drying mats on wood surfaces work through processes like capillary suction, while weighted extractors press layers of carpeted floors together to displace moisture to the upper layer for vacuum removal.

Water damage can be widespread and compromising. As experienced restoration professionals with leading tools, we can quickly manage mitigation needs and often prevent irreparable harm to exposed structural elements. Give our SERVPRO of Levittown, Bethpage team a call today at (516) 261-9600.