Understanding Flood Cuts and Their Usage

10/20/2020 (Permalink)

Any situation that involves contamination is one where a flood cut is needed

If a torrential downpour or other disaster has resulted in the flooding of your home in Nashville, TN, then your walls are probably waterlogged and require repairs. In the case that your home was constructed after the year 1960, you most likely have drywall. Homes with drywall afflicted with a sudden influx of flooding may need to have a flood cut performed on them, either by the homeowner or a professional restoration service. What does this mean exactly? Read on to find out.

What Are Flood Cuts?

In many cases, you might not want to tear out soaked drywall; having to remove the walls is inconvenient and replacement can be costly. However, this is not realistically possible all the time. Instead, sections of drywall may need to be cut out. These sections are usually removed a foot to a foot and a half above where the damage caused by the water ends. This is what is referred to as a flood cut.

When Are Flood Cuts Needed?
Drenched drywall does not always need to be cut out. So when is this process needed? Any situation that involves contamination is one where a flood cut is needed. Times when a flood cut must occur include:

• If the affected area was backed by insulation
• If a mold infestation has claimed your walls
• If the tide of water in your home is from an outer water source like river overflow or runoff that might contain chemicals, sewage or other contaminants.

When Aren't Flood Cuts Needed?
However, there are situations where a flood cut is not necessary. Specifically, a flood cut is not required when two conditions are met: There is no insulation or mold present and the water in the drywall is clean and contaminant-free. Avoiding employing a flood cut means the wall may be able to be saved without dry wall removal.
Not every flooding incident will end up requiring a flood cut. Many will, but not all. There still exists hope for wall preservation in some situations, so it's best not to automatically assume flooded walls are doomed.