SERVPRO Helps Restaurants Get Back to Business from Water Damage

10/8/2022 (Permalink)

For privacy purposes, the restaurant in this photo is not the restaurant in this article.

Is Water Damage Stopping Your Business? Call SERVPRO today.

Plumbing issues disrupt routines in a home, and it is even worse when it results in a water damage event in a place of business. Allow us to share a story about a restaurant in El Centro.

SERVPRO answered an early morning phone call from a restaurant that suffered water damage in El Centro from a broken seal on a supply line. The flooding happened overnight and was discovered when an employee arrived in the early morning hours to open the popular restaurant and taqueria. She found the floor flooded with a half-inch of water. She immediately shut off the water and mopped up as much as possible. When the owner arrived and saw the damage, he thought it would be best to have the restaurant professionally dried. The owner called, SERVPRO of El Centro.

Our goal with most commercial cleanup jobs is to do our best to keep a business open. In this situation, when we arrived on site, we advised the owner to close the business until the late afternoon. We were concerned about the danger of slip and fall accidents. For safety, the closure of the eatery was necessary during the cleanup.

Our technicians set to work; they used moisture detection meters to locate hidden moisture pockets in walls and under counters. The standing water was extracted. We removed the baseboards so warm dry air could be forced onto the soleplate (wood base) of the wall, under cabinets, and the kitchen equipment. Removing the baseboard allowed our team to spray anti-microbial treatments everywhere that the moisture had penetrated. This prevented the growth of bacteria and mold.

Because we were able to arrive quickly and get to work with our water extraction and cleanup, it wasn’t too long until we were setting up our restoration drying equipment. In an hour, the floors were completely dry (and clean) which removed the risk of slip hazards. Our driers were operated until just before the dinner service. However, there were portions of walls that still had elevated moisture, so we re-installed the drying equipment as soon as the restaurant closed that evening. The drying equipment ran all night and the following day until they opened for lunch. In all, the restaurant only lost one lunch service.

Commercial water damage should always be professionally cleaned to ensure the property is left clean and sanitary. Professionals also know how to reduce business interruption. SERVPRO of El Centro / Salton City at 760) 337-5858 is available 24/7 to turn around damage from water to your business, so it is "Like it never even happened."