Water spraying from a broken pipe behind your drywall will ruin your morning fast. Around Tom Bean, our heavy clay soil shifts constantly with the weather, putting extra stress on older plumbing lines until they finally snap. When that happens, panic usually sets in, and that is when homeowners start making expensive mistakes.
Here is what Mainline Restoration sees people around Grayson County do wrong when a pipe bursts, and how you can save yourself a massive headache.
Waiting Too Long to Shut Off the Main
Seconds count when a pipe lets go. Mainline Restoration has walked into houses off Highway 11 where Water Damage Restoration was needed because water had been pouring into the subfloor for twenty minutes simply because nobody knew where the main shutoff valve was. You should not be searching for a wrench while your hardwood floors buckle. Find that valve right now, before you ever need it. Make sure everyone in the house knows which way to turn it.
Trusting the Lowest Bid Without Asking Questions
When you are dealing with property damage, getting three quotes sounds smart. But picking the cheapest guy who shows up in an unmarked truck is a recipe for disaster. Real Water Damage Restoration work requires industrial air movers, dehumidifiers, and moisture meters to check inside the wall cavities. If someone quotes you a rock-bottom price, they are probably just setting up a box fan and hoping for the best. Mold loves that kind of lazy cleanup.
Ignoring Hidden Moisture Behind Walls
Drywall feels dry to the touch pretty quickly, right? Wrong. The framing studs and insulation behind that wall hold onto water like a sponge. If you just patch the hole and slap a coat of paint on it, you are trapping moisture where it can rot the wood and breed black mold. At Mainline Restoration, we use thermal imaging and digital hygrometers to find every last drop of hidden water. You cannot dry what you do not measure during Water Damage Restoration.
Hiring Out-of-State Storm Chasers
After a hard freeze hits North Texas, you will see a dozen out-of-town trucks cruising through our neighborhoods handing out flyers. They follow the bad weather, take your cash, and disappear. If something goes wrong six months down the road and your repair starts leaking or smells musty, good luck getting them to answer your phone call. Hire someone local who stands by their Water Damage Restoration work right here in town.
Dealing with a burst pipe is stressful enough without getting taken advantage of or dealing with shoddy repairs. Keep your cool, know where your water shutoff is, and do not rush the drying process. Do it right the first time, and you will not be dealing with mold remediation next month. For homes and businesses in Tom Bean, Mainline Restoration provides Water Damage Restoration services.