Tips to Effectively Deal With Flood and Water Damage

Bursting of water pipe or flash flood can wreak havoc on your property. Definitely, there can be nothing more infuriating than finding standing water in your basement or living room. If your home is flooded due to storms, you need to tackle multiple complications to get your homes back to a healthy living space. On the other hand, if water damage is caused by plumbing leaks or overflowing drains, still you have to deal with problems of gargantuan proportions.

Floods come with extreme devastation and leave everything ravaged from drywall and furnishings to brand-new structures. Even if the flooding in your home or commercial property isn’t that deep, it’s still likely to cause considerable water damage. What makes the problem more serious is the unpredictability of floods and plumbing damage. Sometimes without prior warning, flash flood gives you no time for preparation. In the same way, flooding caused by a drainage failure can pop up out of the blue. So if your property is flooded, it’s important to know how to deal with it safely. Here are a few tips to safely clean up the mess after any type of flood.

First things first!

You need to be quick! Time is important in preventing any further damage. Don’t let your stuff like cabinets, appliances, furniture, and carpets remain soaked in water as it will cause more damage. So, wear your safety gear like waterproof boots and gloves, and wade into the flooded area to pull out your things. However, it is crucial to remain cautious. Make sure to approach electrical appliances and gas lines with caution. Also, wet items become extremely heavy, so don’t injure your back while lifting or pulling heavy articles. To stay safe, it’s better to call a flood and water damage restoration contractor. Moreover, assess the damage and call your insurance company.

Remove standing water

Next important task is to remove the standing water completely. The longer you left standing water, the more damage it will cause. If you’ve opted for a DIY approach, use either a heavy-duty Shop-Vac or a water pump to suck up water. If you don’t have these types of equipment, you may use buckets and dippers. However, cleaning this way will become extremely tedious and time-consuming. Purchasing water removal equipment for using only once can be expensive, so it’s better to hire a professional water extraction service.

Dry out your home

Once the affected area is clear of water, the next step is drying the area. To eliminate the moisture, open all your windows and switch on fans to dry the whole place. You can use air mover or a heavy-duty dryer for this. To expedite the drying process, remove musty odor, and prevent mold growth, use a dehumidifier. Also, the wet carpets, rugs, and other wet items must be cleaned and dried out thoroughly before bringing them back inside. This is because mold grows on wet stuff within 24 to 48 hours of saturation.

Water damage makes your home a perfect breeding ground for mold, which can induce illnesses. Though you may clean up the mess on your own but dealing with mold requires a professional hand. As such, it makes sense to hire water damage specialists. They have the right tools and training to safely restore your home to the way it was before the flood.