Handling water damage is demanding and stressful, but you have no choice but to deal with it. You must begin the restoration process once the flood is done and the water has receded. If you were evacuated from your house during the storm, the first action is to return home and begin rebuilding. Sometimes the damage is so severe that reconstruction is impossible. You must also deal with mold development as a result of water buildup, and that is why we have created this flood and water damage restoration checklist for you.
Your Flood Damage Cleanup Checklist
What to Do If Your Home Has Flooded
Don’t wait if you’ve just encountered a flood! Respond swiftly to limit the extent of the damage to your property. We suggest following these eight pre-restoration actions as soon as a flood of any kind occurs.
- Determine whether or not the place is safe. Whether you were evacuated due to a natural flooding catastrophe, contact the local emergency response officials to find if it is safe to return to your home.
- Before disconnecting or removing any electrical equipment from damp carpet or submerged areas, turn off the electrical circuit breaker in the affected area.
- Identify the source of the flood. Shut off the primary water valve and the appliance if there is a leaking appliance or a plumbing problem. If you cannot stop an existing leak on your own, contact a plumber.
- Start eliminating any standing water. Any water that is deeper than an inch must be removed quickly, preferably by mitigation specialists. You can use industrial wet vacuums, mops, and other similar tools to remove water. Do not leave the vacuum plugged in unsupervised, and observe all manufacturer safety recommendations. It’s important to remember that water and electricity don’t mix. Contact a professional supplier of flood and water damage repair services.
- Remove any furniture or belongings from the flooded area.
- Photograph the damage. Take photographs of the flood and any things that were destroyed by it.
- Contact your insurance provider. Every policy requires homeowners or businesses to disclose their loss “as soon as practically reasonable.”
What to avoid
- Do not use your house vacuum to remove water — electrical shock and equipment damage might occur.
- Avoid walking on newspaper in high-traffic areas since newspaper ink rapidly transfers to moist carpet fibers, resulting in permanent stains.
- Do not tread on the wet or submerged carpet for longer than is absolutely required; this prevents the damage from extending to other areas.
- Avoid going in stagnant water if your home’s power is still on. Even if you don’t detect an electrical hazard, this is a dangerous situation, and you should avoid it at all costs.
- Do not attempt to start the water mitigation or mold remediation procedure yourself; these are time-sensitive activities that should be left to the pros.
Conclusion
Nobody likes to have water damage in their house, and unfortunately, this is exactly what thousands of homeowners experience each year. If this occurs to you, flood and water damage restoration firms can offer you all of the equipment and alternatives you need to restore your property to its original condition.