FAQs

Water Damage can occur in your home or office for a variety of reasons. Excess water in your home can come from natural disasters such as hurricanes or floods, as well as from pipes that burst or start to leak in your plumbing system. Household appliances can malfunction and cause water to pool in areas that might not be noticeable.

Septic tanks can overflow and cause raw sewage to spew into your crawlspace or home. When gutters and roof drains get backed up, the excess water can begin to cause serious damage. Bathtubs and shows that are poorly constructed or need the grout replaced can permit water to seep through onto the tile and create mold and other unwanted effects.

Proper maintenance and care of your appliances can help ensure they don’t cause a water issue. If you have a septic tank, monthly inspections can allow you to notice if anything looks amiss. You can also teach everyone who lives in your home where the water supply cutoff valve is so they can turn it off in the event of an emergency.

The first thing you should do is contact Able Restoration, Inc. You do not want to delay, since mold begins to form after only a few short hours. The longer water sits, the more opportunity it has to wreak havoc on wood, walls and carpet. You will also want to contact your insurance company to begin the claim process, avoid the affected area whenever possible. If there is standing water in an area with electrical appliances, do not enter the room under any circumstances.

Excess water in your home has the potential to create a variety of unwanted secondary effects. Property can be ruined or its value decreased, the structure of the home compromised, and water damage remediation services can cost thousands of dollars. Paint and wallpaper can chip, carpets can be destroyed and wood floors can rot. Mold can grow from untreated excess water and pose a serious threat to your health and the health of your family.

Able Restoration, Inc will first inspect the area and attempt to stop the water source from creating additional damage. We will then use our water extraction machinery to remove any standing or access water from the site. Once the water is gone, we start the drying process with dehumidifiers and heavy fans. When the area is dry to our satisfaction, we test the air to make sure the problem is resolved and the moisture and any mold spores have been removed.

Mold remediation is the process of removal and/or clean up of mold from an indoor environment, such as a home or a business.  If a home or a business has serious mold damage, it is best to Able Restoration, Inc as specialized equipment and methods may be required to remove the mold completely.

Mold enters your home as tiny spores. The spores need moisture to begin growing, digesting, and destroying. Molds can grow on almost any surface, including;

• Wood
• Ceiling tiles
• Wallpaper
• Paints
• Carpet
• Sheet rock
• Insulation

The mold grows best when there is lots of moisture from a leaky roof, high humidity, or flood. There is no way to get rid of all molds and mold spores from your home. But you can control mold growth by keeping your home dry.

The time it takes for the mold removal process depends on many factors such as how much mold is present, where the mold is growing (behind walls, etc.), and the materials it grows on. Most mold removal (remediation) takes anywhere from 1 day to 5 days.

There are two different ways to know when mold is removed.

1. Visual: You might see that all mold is gone is away, but hidden mold colonies and mold spores can linger in hidden places and in the air. So visual inspection is not the best way to insure complete removal.
2. Third party testing is usually the best way to test for complete mold removal verification.

Able Restoration, Inc will not test as this is a conflict of interest and State Of Florida residents be aware that there is a law that states that a mold removal company must have certain certifications and cannot test at the same time as the remediation. Please also beware that there are different kinds of testers ranging from home inspectors to industrial hygienists. Please ask your independent tester if their tests, in writing, will stand up in court.

Remember that you need to have a pre testing procedure (mold spore tests, etc.) , protocols (a list of how to remove the mold), and a clearance test after the mold removal to ensure that the mold spore count is at acceptable levels.

1. Contact Able Builders for a free in home consult and estimate.  2. If you are looking to purchase as a gift and delay a final estimate or want see if you are approved financing before meeting our estimators,  use the formula below:

• Measure your kitchen’s length and width and multiply for square footage. example: a 10 ft. x 10 ft. kitchen= 100 sqft.
• Next, multiply the square footage by Able’s averages: budget= $75 per square foot, Average grade= $105 per square foot, and premium= $125 per square foot.

This method will give you the average cost of your size of kitchen remodel, including  everything except new appliances. For additional questions, Contact Able Builders, Inc Customer Service at (866) 331-3770 option “2” for additional answers.

*All numbers are an approximation until a final scope of work is approved by both parties.

Your project manager will help you choose the best quality materials to fit your job budget. As a local distributor for many building materials, Able Builders, Inc can frequently accommodate virtually any budget for kitchens, baths, and floors.

Able Builders, Inc has a showroom at 2071 Range Road in Clearwater, Florida that maintains a broad selection of kitchen and vanity cabinets, counter top samples, trims, crown moldings, and wood, laminate, & vinyl flooring products. We also have numerous catalogs and design concepts.  The showroom is available by appointment, so call us today at 727-447-5868 to schedule a visit.

The time it takes to complete a project depends on its size and scope; at Able Builders, Inc once your project starts, we strive to work 8 hours a day every day, Mon-Fri, until finished.  You will  receive a job schedule prior to your start date, but most jobs are competed within one to two weeks on the average.

Contact Justin at: 727-447-5868, extension 101 or customer service to be transferred.

There are many contributing factors that may cause leaks to occur.  A few of the more prevalent issues are:

• Corrosion
• Deterioration
• Shifting
• Water pressure
• Poor workmanship / Poor installation
• Soil conditions
• Accidental breaks during excavation/drilling

Water loss varies based on the size of the pipe, pressure and the size of the hole/break.  For example, a 1/8” hole in a 4” pipe at 60psi can lose 296,000 gallons of water over a 3 month period.

Some indications to look for when you suspect a leak are:

• Water pooling on the ground surface
• Areas of landscape/lawns that are abnormally lush and green
• Heaving, cracking, sinking or potholes
• Unusual coloration / damp soil
• A drop in water pressure or flow volume
• A sudden problem with rusty water, dirt or air in the water supply
• Unexplained increase in water use
• Water use that has been steadily climbing
• A moving leak indicator on the water meter when all water use is off
  

There are several methods we use to locate leaks.  Our common techniques include sounding (ground mics), noise correlators, pressure testing and helium detection.

The more information we have, the higher the rate of success when performing a leak detection.  Before we arrive we ask for some important information to be gathered.  Some of the more important information is:

• Location of the pipe(s).
• What is the pipe made of?
• What is the diameter of the pipe?
• What are the locations of the valves?
• Are the valve boxes cleaned out and the valves visible?
• What kind of drawings or utility maps are available to us?
  

Able Leak Detection does not repair water mains, transmission lines, services lines or any other plumbing related issues.  Please contact your local licensed plumbing contractor or simply ask us for a referral in your area.  We work with many licensed and reputable plumbing contractors and would be happy to recommend one to you.

Sound sensors are placed in contact with the pipe, at two or more points, to record the sound emitted by a leak somewhere between the points. The sound data is processed through a mathematical algorithm which compares or correlates the two recordings to determine the difference in the times it takes noise to travel from the site of the leak to each of the sensors. If the distance between the sensors is known in advance, this timing information can be used to determine the location of the leak.Leak correlators require accurate information about the materials through which the leak sound is traveling in order to perform an accurate time calculation.  Most leak correlators serve two major purposes. First is to detect the presence of a leak, second to pinpoint the location of the leak for repair when detected.