What Is a Flood Cut and Is It Important?

5/20/2021 (Permalink)

In some cases, your building in Norris, TN, may need to undergo a flood cut.

When flooding happens, building damage tends to follow. Often, that damage may require you to tear out more than you were expecting in your business. In some cases, your building in Norris, TN, may need to undergo a flood cut.

What Is a Flood Cut?

When your drywall is soaked in flood water, its porous material absorbs the moisture. This can lead to rippled, ugly walls, but worse, it could lead to contamination due to black water. A flood cut resolves this by cutting 12 or more inches above the highest point the water reached so as to remove all material that may have been exposed.

Why Are 12 Inches Necessary?
Water wicks along porous and absorbent surfaces, traveling farther than the point at which a flood directly touched them. Cutting a wide buffer out helps to ensure the contaminated material is removed entirely, restoring your building and business to being a safe environment for employees and customers again.

What if a Flood Cut Isn't Performed?
Flooding can bring with it a variety of contaminants, including chemicals and bacteria. Flood water of this type is called black water. The only way to eliminate this problem, once it occurs, is to completely remove the affected drywall.
In addition to concerns about black water, saturated drywall may retain moisture in the long term, which in turn could create an ideal environment for mold to propagate. Once mold takes root in a porous or absorbent surface, the most effective means of eliminating it is to properly dispose of the infested materials. A flood cut can clear away all dampened materials, provide aeration for remaining surfaces to dry thoroughly, and prevent the spread of mold.
If your business requires a flood cut to resolve the damage flooding caused, a professional cleanup service may be your best route. They can identify the extent of damage and whether additional problems lurk under the surface, providing you with peace of mind when you reopen your business again.