What to Do If Your Home Has Water Damage
Having your home damaged by a flood can be quite stressful, to say the least. Many homeowners go into panic mode and make choices that are not logical when their house has been hit by flooding.
The following guidelines will help you avoid these common flood damage mistakes.
Make Sure That You Are Safe
When your property is flooded, making your way inside without thinking twice might not be the best idea. You must make sure that it is the safe thing to do.
If the power is still on, you could end up a victim of electrocution. The potential contamination from sewage – which is not rare in such situations – is not great for your health either.
There could also be sharp objects in the water that can harm you or someone else in this chaotic situation.
Turn off the Source of Flooding If Possible
As soon as you have made sure it is safe to enter your property, take care of the source of flooding immediately, if possible.
This task may not always be as simple as turning off the water supply valve. More complicated problems, like a flooded sewer line, could take hours to shut off.
Your best bet is to invite an appropriate professional, like a plumber, to quickly rid your property of the floodwater.
Contact Your Insurance Company
While you might be tempted to immediately call a flood damage cleanup company, there is a chance that your insurance doesn’t cover this.
We recommend having your insurance claim number saved on your cell phone so that you can call and report the damage as soon as possible.
Call Cleanup Professionals
Most of the time, flood damage cleanup projects are overwhelming for an individual. Moreover, depending on where you live, you’ll likely also have to tackle the issue of mold. The money spent on a flood damage cleanup crew is always money well spent.
Take Pictures and Record the Damage
Your insurance company will require proof of flood damage before they come to your aid. Before you speak with your insurance company and the cleanup crew on the phone, take photos of the flood damage.
Ensure that you get detailed photos of valuable possessions. It can be useful to have pictures of the house pre-flood. This will help you prove the condition your valuables and home were in before the flooding.
Salvage Whatever You Can
Do what you can to save the valuables that survived the incident. You can do this by removing them from the affected areas of the house and keeping them somewhere safe and dry.
All lifting should be done with extra care because water-soaked materials are heavier than usual.
Begin the Repair Process
This is when you should invite professionals to take over the situation. During the repair process, they will get rid of excess water and minimize humidity.
Mold prevention measures will be employed, with affected drywall and flooring replaced.
We have fully-certified water removal personnel that can deliver a complete flood damage assessment to your home or office. We will then recommend and follow industry standards to get your water removal and property restoration going.
We offer emergency water removal and flood damage clean up repairs. Our technicians are highly trained and experienced in different flood damage situations.
We can help you get your home back on track. Give us a call today!