A flooded office building in Tyne and Wear that was damaged by an estimated 25,000 litres has been dried in less than two weeks by CleanSafe Services.
The specialist flood recovery team was called in after a heating burst, allowing water to gush throughout the three-storey office block in Sunderland. The 40,000 sq ft building had been empty at the time as it was due to be let, which meant the water could cause more flood damage.
An estimated 30 per cent of the office space had been affected by flood water, and was in urgent need of drying out. CleanSafe Services Operations Manager Brian Bowden put together a team of experienced flood recovery operatives to carry out the work.
Flood recovery cleaning a “core service”
He said: “The quicker you can respond to a flooded office building, the less long-term damage will be done. While other conventional cleaning companies would struggle with the enormity of such a task, flood cleaning is very much a core service for us.”
During the initial water clearing phase, a team of seven flood recovery operatives worked for four days in the building.
All standing water was removed using a suction wet vac machine. Ceiling tiles and floor tiles in affected areas were also removed. The flood recovery operation then moved into the drying phase.
A total of 20 air blowers and 10 dehumidifiers were installed across the three floors. These were set up to remove moisture from the environment in the quickest time, and safest manner.
Flood recovering drying time critical
Brian Bowden said: “After a severe building flood, it is clearly a good idea to remove the water as quickly as possible. However, the process has to be closely regulated and monitored to ensure the drying process does not damage the building structure.
“If forced drying after a flood is done too slowly, mould can grow, which can cause additional damage and be difficult to remove. If it’s done too quickly, in some buildings, walls, ceilings and floors can crack.”
With this office building, the flood drying process lasted a week. During this time, all surfaces were sanitised with anti-bacterial cleaning agents to reduce the risk of mould growth still further.
CleanSafe Services provides flood damage cleaning and drying services across the UK, with specialist cleaning teams operating from depots in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh.
For more information, call 0800 668 1268.
