What is the Best Way of Dealing with Water Odors?

10/29/2020 (Permalink)

Odors left over from water damage can be rough to deal with. SERVPRO can keep those odors away.

Water Restoration Companies Here in Syracuse Can Help you Overcome Unpleasant Odors From Water Damage. SERVPRO Has Odor Control Technicians (OCT) on Hand. 

What causes odor after water intrusion?

Odors can come from multiple sources in your Syracuse home. Sometimes these odors may be the result of pre-existing soiling or debris that is dislodged by water intrusion. At other times, water odors can directly result from water intrusion by bringing in microbial organisms or other contaminants. Finally, high humidity levels in the home can increase our perception of odors. At SERVPRO, our work goes beyond drying and cleaning a structure to ensure that your family returns to its preloss condition. A significant factor in making your home feel normal again is identifying and tackling unpleasant odors. Our odor control technicians (OCT) have a multi-faceted, thorough approach to dealing with unpleasant odors following a water emergency. 

How do professional technicians combat smells?

Good water restoration companies understand how to identify sources of odor in your Syracuse home. There could be multiple sources producing unpleasant odors, but the first step is to deal with those that are the most obvious. Noticeable odor-causing elements could be the presence of raw sewage, dirt, trash, pet waste, or molds. Getting rid of these causes can help to increase the effectiveness of odor control. We are trained to clean or dispose of waste appropriately and responsibly. Our technicians follow local and federal guidelines to protect waterways and eliminate potentially dangerous substances in the correct waste facilities. 

What are the initial steps for mitigating moisture odors?

• Identify and dispose of odors' source using double-sealed waste bags and a potent disinfectant to eliminate any residual substances.
• Use multiple deodorization methods in a property to ensure that all odor sources are contained and under control.
• Thoroughly dry wet materials and wait for the structure to return to its normal condition before declaring the odor's successful removal.

Can unpleasant smells return to a home after water restoration?

Sometimes water restoration involves removing or resurfacing materials. These issues can occur when there is extensive exposure to moisture, and water begins to absorb into or otherwise deteriorate materials in your contents or structure. Water intrusion commonly causes damages like carpet delamination, varnish discoloration, watermarks, and yellowing of paintwork. Our restoration technicians may strip and refinish floors, repaint walls, or perform chemical treatment of affected areas to tackle these issues. The chemicals used in these processes commonly have a strong odor, which can mask any residual odors that water damage causes. Once these more potent odors pass, the presence of a lighter but still unpleasant odor may remain. SERVPRO works to enlist multiple deodorization processes to combat odor sources that may not be immediately noticeable during restoration. 

What are the useful methods of deodorization in a wet property?

• Providing ventilation, air exchange, and air filtration using venting box fans or high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter fitted air-scrubbers.
• Treating potential odorous surfaces and contents using direct spraying of deodorants or injecting into upholstery and other furnishings.
• Fumigating the property can help use wet and dry ultra-low volume (ULV) foggers and ozone generators to break down, pair, or alter odorous particles.

What are the areas of the home most affected by water intrusion?

Most homeowners' central points of concern are experiencing a water intrusion event center around carpets, upholstery, hard surface flooring, walls, and ceilings. These areas typically take on large amounts of water, with most materials being porous or semi-porous. The porosity of the material is a critical factor in odor absorption. Soft furnishing likely absorbs unpleasant odors more readily than non-porous materials like metal or glass. Generally, tackling bad smells in these materials relies on fogging or misting the appropriate areas. Removable fittings like carpets are usually treated on both sides of the surface using an environmental protection agency (EPA) registered disinfectant. SERVPRO technicians can mop hard surface flooring using disinfectant before applying a deodorant through a hand or pressure sprayer. Any other areas of the home with significant odors can be treated using powerful scent repelling pellets.

What is the purpose of water deodorization in residential properties?

• To return the home to a sanitary state by using EPA-registered disinfectants and deodorant chemicals.
• Our services use all necessary products, including biocides, solvents, as well as pressure washing or immersion cleaning for resilient materials.
• Most odor problems are a result of incomplete drying. Our services monitor your home regularly to safeguard it against these issues. 

Odor can be an unfortunate by-product of a water intrusion emergency. For assistance, contact SERVPRO of East Onondaga County at (315) 277-6702.