Tarrytown Plumbing Overflow Experts Are Here

The Steam Team Family with President Jay Hartzell at University of Texas At Austin

Managing a Bathtub Overflow: Quick and Effective Solutions

A bathtub overflow can turn a relaxing bath into a stressful situation. Whether it’s due to a distraction, a faulty faucet, or a clogged drain, dealing with the immediate aftermath and preventing further damage requires swift action and a calm approach. Here’s what you should do if your bathtub overflows.

1. Stop the Water Flow: The first and most crucial step is to stop the flow of water. Locate the water supply valve near the bathtub and shut it off immediately. If the overflow is caused by a clogged drain, removing any excess water can prevent further spillage. Use a bucket, pot, or towels to soak up as much water as possible.

2. Prevent Electrical Hazards: Water and electricity are a dangerous combination. If the overflowing water has reached electrical outlets or appliances in the bathroom, turn off the power supply to the affected area. This precautionary measure ensures safety while dealing with the cleanup process.

3. Address the Cause: Identify the cause of the overflow. If it’s due to a clogged drain, use a plunger or a drain snake to clear the blockage. Avoid using chemical drain cleaners, as they can damage pipes and worsen the situation. If the overflow is caused by a faulty faucet, consider calling a plumber to fix the issue.

4. Inspect for Water Damage: Check the surrounding areas for signs of water damage. Water can seep into floors, walls, and cabinets, leading to mold growth and structural damage if left unaddressed. Use towels, mops, or a wet vacuum to dry the affected surfaces. Place fans and dehumidifiers in the room to facilitate faster drying.

5. Evaluate Flooring and Ceiling Below: If your bathroom is on an upper floor, or if the water has seeped through the floor, inspect the ceiling below for water damage. Water stains, sagging, or discoloration are signs of water infiltration. Addressing these issues promptly can prevent further structural damage.

6. Contact Professionals if Necessary: If the overflow has caused significant water damage, it’s advisable to contact professionals. Water restoration companies specialize in assessing and mitigating water damage. They have the expertise and equipment to thoroughly dry and dehumidify the affected areas, preventing mold growth and further deterioration.

7. Prevent Future Overflows: To prevent future bathtub overflows, consider installing an overflow drain cover. These devices act as a secondary drain, preventing water from spilling over. Regularly clean the drain to remove hair, soap scum, and debris, reducing the risk of clogs. Additionally, be mindful of the water level while filling the tub, ensuring it does not reach the overflow opening.

8. Review Homeowner’s Insurance: If the water damage is extensive, review your homeowner’s insurance policy. Most policies cover water damage caused by sudden and accidental events. Contact your insurance provider to report the incident and initiate the claims process if necessary.

In summary, a bathtub overflow demands quick and efficient action to prevent further damage and ensure a safe environment. By promptly stopping the water flow, addressing the cause, and taking measures to dry and assess the affected areas, you can minimize the impact of the overflow. If the situation is beyond your control, don’t hesitate to seek professional assistance. Regular maintenance and awareness of potential risks can also go a long way in preventing future overflows, ensuring a peaceful and stress-free bathing experience.

How To Keep The Air Clean and Fresh in Your Place of Business

Austin, Texas Water Damage

Owning a business means you have many factors to think about, and the quality of your air ducts might not be very high on that list. But neglecting to have the air system in your business cleaned can have disastrous impacts for your customers or clients, as well as your employees, and yourself. Here’s what you need to know about keeping your air clean and fresh.

Why It Matters

Forgetting or procrastinating on having your business's air ducts clean can have several negative effects. For one, when dirt and debris accumulates in the air ducts, it becomes harder for the HVAC system to do its job, leading to higher energy costs for the building as the HVAC compensates.

Not cleaning the air ducts can also be harmful to the health of employees, customers or anyone else in the building. The buildup of dust and debris will re-enter the air, causing people to have allergies and respiratory issues. If the air ducts have any humidity or leaks mold could begin to grow, which would then enter the air and be even more harmful to people in the building than dust. Because of this, any responsible business owner should know to always keep the air ducts clean by hiring professional commercial air duct cleaners.

Steam Team Commercial Duct Cleaning

When you call in The Steam Team professional technicians, we’ll arrive with powerful, st

ate-of-the-art equipment and begin cleaning the air ducts in your building. We will efficiently clean the interior of the air handler cabinet, the blower assemblies, the return and supply plenum, the cooling and heating coils and the condensate pan. We even treat the non-porous interior surfaces of the air ducts with bactericides and fungicides.

For more information on our air duct cleaning and our many other services, visit The Steam Team website.

Understanding The Dangers Of Plumbing Overflow, And What You Can Do About It

Austin Texas water restoration

You’d be surprised how unexpectedly and quickly plumbing overflow can flood your home or business. You need to understand plumbing overflow and what you can do about it, and that’s why we’re here to help. With years of hands-on experience with plumbing overflow and the resulting flooding, nobody is more qualified to help than The Steam Team.

Potential Dangers To Your Flooring

No matter what kind of flooring you have, flooding caused by plumbing overflow can do alot of damage to your floor. But water can also damage the subfloor underneath your flooring if it isn’t cleaned up soon enough. With spills this is easy to do, but in the case of plumbing overflow you won’t be able to prevent the water damage, and the floor and subfloor may need to be removed. In cases where the plumbing overflow occurred on a second or third story, the water may leak through the floor and drip from the ceiling of the lower floor, causing further damage to whatever surface it lands on.

Health Risks

As if it wasn’t bad enough worrying about your floor and other surfaces of your home, there are also potential risks to your own health. If the floors are wet, keep that in mind and take all precautions so that you can try not to slip if you must walk on the wet floor. Also, be sure to stay away from any electrical outlets that may have gotten wet, as they might electrocute you.

Mold Growth

Another potentially harmful effect of plumbing overflow is the mold that can grow in unseen places of your home, which can further cause health issues. It can happen anywhere dark with just a little bit of moisture, and it can quickly become a health hazard for anyone in the home.

Professional Cleanup and Plumbing Repair

When it comes to mold growth, but also floor damage and the other jobs required when you have plumbing overflow in your home, The Steam Team can help you! Our professional technicians are trained to use high-powered technology and expert methods to fix all of your plumbing overflow problems. For more information on how we can help, please visit The Steam Team website.

How The Steam Team of Austin Can Fix Your Leaky Appliances

Water Damage Restoration

The most common damage to occur in homes and businesses around the world is water damage. Water damage can be extremely costly to fix, but you can avoid it altogether with the right practices. One common cause of disastrous water damage is leaky appliances, so keep a close eye on any appliances that use water and look out for the signs of a leak. If you do happen to find a leak, call in The Steam Team. Here’s how we can help:

Professional Cleanup and Leak Repair

When you’ve called in our Steam Team professional technicians, they’ll quickly address the problems of your leaky appliance. They’ll come with all the equipment necessary for water extraction, leak cleanup, water damage restoration and structural drying. Even overflowing or burst appliances like sinks, dishwashers, AC units, or water heaters will be no problem for our skilled technicians. They’ll also provide plumbing overflow cleanup services. Any overflowing drain, burst pipe, toilet, shower or tub will be fixed up in no time! There’s nothing our technician’s can’t handle!

The Steam Team

If you have leaky appliances, burst pipes, or any of the problems listed above, there are many services and companies to choose from to have your problems fixed, so what set The Steam Team apart?

Well first of all, our services will likely be more convenient for your spending, since we offer free inspections and free onsite estimates for all jobs that our technicians do. We also offer direct insurance billing for your convenience. But more importantly, we always have someone ready to take your call, and technicians ready to meet your needs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our technicians will quickly reach your worksite after you’ve called, since most of our services are time sensitive.

For more information on our many other services, visit The Steam Team website.

Signs Of Hardwood Floor Water Damage And How To Fix Them

Austin, Texas Water damage restoration

Here at The Steam Team of Austin, we pride ourselves on our technician’s excellent knowledge of water damage hardwood flooring, and how to fix them. If you think your hardwood floor may have been water damaged, you’ll want to keep reading to find out what you can do about it. If you’re not sure, but you’ve owned hardwood flooring for a few years, here are some signs to look out for. Austin water damage professionals.

Water Damage Floors Buckling Marks and Scratches

Most wooden floors have a sealant designed to help protect the hard wood itself from water damage. When something scratches deep enough or water to penetrate the seal, the boards are exposed and will warp. Pay attention to the water on your floor, and if any of it penetrate the seal, it’s time to call in The Steam Team of Austin to extract, dry out and refinish your floor.

Austin Water Damage

Austin water damage is extremely common in hardwood floors, and may be happening without you even realizing it. Water damage under the floorboards can occur for a number of different reasons, but will usually result in dark spots appearing on the floor and separation or cupping of the boards. When you see this, it’s time to have your floor refinished and possibly have some of the boards replaced.

Pay close attention to the color of your floor as well. If you notice that your boards have turned gray, it might be a result of the polyurethane wearing off, leaving your boards more susceptible from water damage due to spills or regular cleaning. When you see this, have your hardwood sanded and refinished soon, before the boards turn black. Once they’ve turned black, they’ll need to be replaced entirely. Call Austin water damage restoration emergency service at 512-451-8326 now.

Similarly, If you have a hardwood floor outdoors, keep an eye on the color. If it fades in color it may be damaged from the sun. Sanding and refinishing will take care of this as well.

How Austin Water Damage Help

We hope that the information provided will help you keep your hardwood floors in great condition for years to come. For more information on the many services we offer, visit The Steam Team website.

Complete Stain Removal and Carpet Cleaning: How It's Done Right

water damage emergency service

You might be vacuuming your carpet once a week, or maybe a little more or less often, and think you’re doing an excellent job keeping it clean. But really, vacuuming only takes care of a fraction of the dirt, debris and bacteria hiding in your carpet. And if you happen to have lots of stains in your carpet, vacuuming won’t do much about that. Having your carpet professionally steam cleaned every once in a while is a great way to ensure a full clean. Here’s some information on our very own professional carpet cleaning service and stain removal here at The Steam Team.

Removing Stains

With our highly trained technicians and their powerful, state-of-the-art equipment, we’ll be able to remove any stain on your carpet in no time. And it's not just stains either! We can also use modern cleaning methods to remove any unwanted odors from your carpet. Have your pets left odor-filled stains all over your carpet that have been there for years? No worries, just let us handle it and your carpet will look fresh and new in no time!

How We Clean Carpets

When you call in The Steam Team and our professional technicians arrive on the scene, they’ll give your carpet a complete inspection to find the most troubling areas first, and determine the required cleaning methods to get the job done right. One of the things that sets us apart is that our technicians will spot-test their preferred cleaning method so that you can see the results before they move on to the full cleaning. If you don’t like how it turns out, we’ll try something else. Our technicians won’t rest until they find a cleaning method that suits your needs. At the end of the cleaning process, we’ll apply a powerful carpet protector to keep your carpet from further stains and damage.

For more information on our carpet cleaning service, as well as our many other services, please visit The Steam Team website.

Following Water Damage: How to React

water damage restoration companies

Water damage can occur in a split-second when we least expect it. Something so essential to our daily lives can also cause extensive damage to our homes during a storm, leak, or even a fire. That’s why we got involved, here at The Steam Team, in helping our neighbors around Austin and surrounding cities to restore their homes and businesses from any water damage that may have occurred. We’ve trained our technicians who have become experts in recovery and even mold remediation- an unfortunate result from moisture. Today, we wanted to help you know how to react to water damage, whether it’s from a natural disaster, a busted pipe, or broken appliance.

Act Quickly

First and foremost, it’s important to act as quickly as possible once you discover water damage! Remember, it only takes 24-48 hours for mold to begin growing and spreading throughout your home (the last thing anyone wants). The quicker you’re able to act following water damage, the quicker your home will be restored.

Dry Out the Area

Next, do your best to dry out the area until the professionals arrive. We know that this is no simple task, especially when you’re battling mold and other contaminants, but remember that the longer you leave an area moist, the more likely it is that mold will form. 

Call in The Steam Team

The Steam Team really knows what they’re doing when it comes to water damage! You can put your trust in us. As we mentioned before, our technicians are expertly trained to handle anything and everything surrounding water damage. Whether it’s the beginning of restoration or helping you through the insurance process, we’ve seen it all. 

So remember, as soon as you encounter water damage in or around your home, give The Steam Team a call! 

Water Extraction and Flood Cleanup From The Pros

It can occur from many different things such as natural disasters, plumbing issues, leaky appliances and more, but no matter what the cause, flood damage can ruin any home or business, cause massive strain on finances, and even risk the lives and health of those in the property. When these disasters occur, you want to have someone who’s available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can quickly remove the water to mitigate the damaging effects. That’s what we, here at The Steam Team, are for.

Water Extraction From The Pros

Our professional team of trained technicians will quickly utilize high-powered water extraction equipment to get rid of the water, hopefully before mold growth begins. However, if the water is removed too rapidly, the change in pressure could cause structural damage, so depending on the amount of water in the home, the extraction could take up to 24 hours. But this is only in extreme flooding cases. Our professionals will remove the water as quickly as possible, but also as safely as possible. Once the water has been removed, they’ll start on the cleaning process.

Cleanup and Mold Elimination

Our professional cleaning process will begin with a detailed sanitizing of every affected surface, starting with the floors and walls of the flooded area. The floors will be removed entirely if needed. If the extraction wasn’t soon enough, and mold has taken root anyway, our technicians can handle that too. Our mold remediation process will entirely eliminate the mold from the property, rather than covering it or simply stopping it's growth like some common store-bought products might do.

As you can see, our professional technicians have the right equipment, training and skills to take on any flooded property and leave it cleaned from top to bottom and restored as much as possible. And don’t forget that we’re available for flood damage cleanup 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When you have a flood emergency, don’t forget to call! Please visit The Steam Team website for more information.

Our Commitment To 24 Hour Water and Fire Damage Emergency Services

Water and fire related damages are the most common and most costly disasters that occur to homeowners all around the world. Millions of cases of water damage and unexpected fires occur across the U.S. every year, and when these things happen you need to have a plan. Your plan should involve a company that is able to show up to clean and restore your home, and to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, since these disasters can happen at any time.

Caring For The Community

We always try to foster an attitude of care and commitment to our local Austin residents and anyone we come in contact with. Our drive and dedication to our community is what makes us want every resident we serve to be completely satisfied with the job we’ve accomplished. That’s why we offer our water and fire damage repair services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We want to make sure that no matter when disaster comes, The Steam Team can be there to help. No matter the extent of the water damage, mold growth or fire and smoke damage, we know our professional team of technicians can handle it. Let’s discuss our team and how they can help.

Our Technicians

Our professional technicians are always courteous and efficient when it comes to helping out with water and fire damage, and with our many other services! In fact, our amazing technicians are the reason we were voted best water damage company in Austin by the Austin Monthly. When our technicians arrive at your home or business, they’ll carefully inspect the damaged property and give you an accurate estimate of costs. Then they’ll get to work right away, whether it's structure cleaning, providing emergency power, full reconstruction, mold remediation or water extraction, our technicians can handle it. Your home will be back to good shape in no time. For more information, please visit The Steam Team website.

Steam Team: All About Refinishing Hardwood Flooring After Water Damage

Water Damage In Round Rock, Texas

Hardwood flooring is often chosen for it’s aesthetic appeal; this type of flooring makes the living room more charming, wholesome, and welcoming. And yes- it’s relatively simple to clean and care for. However, over time wear and tear will become more apparent. Scratches, dings and discoloration stand out, and you’ll wonder if it’s time to have all of the hardwood floors replaced.

But maybe you don’t need to replace your flooring! Often times, hardwood flooring can be salvaged by trained professionals. By replacing a few boards, and making necessary repairs, a team of experts can restore your flooring to its previous condition!

The Refinishing Process

Refinishing hardwood flooring involves several steps that may vary depending on the situation. Below, we’ll list the basic steps involved in the process:

Step 1: Sanding

If your hardwood has a wax coating over its finish, or if the wood underneath has been dinged and damaged, your finish will need to be entirely sanded down- until your hardwood is completely bare!

Step 2: Staining

Though sanding may add time and cost to your refinishing project, it’s the perfect way to alter the color of hardwood flooring. A professional will apply several coats of stain, and will likely need to sand in between applications.

Step 3: Finishing & Coating

The last step, applying the final finish on your hardwood flooring, is the step best left for professionals. There are so many varying types of stain (both oil and water based), each accompanied by a specific set of rules that you do not want to break! By hiring a professional, you can avoid causing further damage.

Don’t despair- this process doesn’t have to be overwhelming! Call your local cleaning and restoration company today; they’ll have the correct equipment and experience for the job- we know that our experts at The Steam Team do!