The worst possible thing that could ever happen in your home is probably water damage caused by flooding. It has become a common problem faced by thousands of people who end up with damage worth huge sums. There are several causes for water damage in homes, including burst pipes, malfunctioning sump-pumps, appliance malfunctions, sewer back-up, and heavy rains.
You don’t want to enter your home one day to find water everywhere and your furniture destroyed. There is no worse feeling than seeing your home damaged. It can also be a confusing time since you’re not expecting water flooding in your home. So, to help you out, we will outline the important steps that you must take immediately after you find water damage in your home. These steps include the following:
1. Get in Touch with Your Insurance Company
Forget about everything else and ring up your insurance company first when you find water damage in your home. You need to get in touch with them as you want to be compensated for the water damage. The insurance company will send over an adjuster, who will assess the damage and determine if your insurance covers the loss.
You must try and document everything in the house and take photos of all the rooms where the water has entered. Doing so will help the insurance adjuster later on when they come to assess the damage. You also need to check whether your home insurance policy covers water damage caused by flooding. Get in touch with your insurance company to know your options.
2. Ensure You Follow All Safety Precautions
Flooding in your home shouldn’t be taken lightly as there will be several electrical appliances lying around the house. Protect yourself and your family members from any untoward scenarios. Turn off the power in your home immediately, so there’s no risk of electrocution.
You should also wear protective gear like gloves and rubber boots when you enter your home. Taking this precaution will keep you protected from cuts and bruises if you slip and fall. Next, you should remove all of your valuables from the water and keep them in a dry and safe place.
3. Call a Water Damage Restoration Company
Once you’ve assessed all the damage and taken the appropriate safety precautions when entering your home, your next call should be to a water damage restoration company. You must not let the water sit around in your home. Get started on the cleanup process immediately. If the flooding isn’t too extensive, you can try and start the drying process yourself.
You need to ensure that you check all furniture and valuables in the house. Anything that is too damaged should be thrown away, and you should be wearing protective gear in the house. Try and make sure that you go through the water damage thoroughly and keep in mind that you may need to remove the flooring, the insulation, and the drywall so that your home doesn’t suffer from mold or mildew damage.
4. Drying Out Your Home
This next step is extremely important as you want to prevent excessive damage from flooding in your home. You need to start drying your home immediately after draining all the water. Experts say that you need to dry out your home at least 24 hours after draining the water to prevent mold and mildew growth from taking over your home.
You should make sure that you have taken out all the damaged furniture or got wet in the flooding and left them out to dry. You don’t want soggy belongings in the house, so make sure that you thoroughly go over everything and dry out your home completely. If you have hired a water damage restoration company, they will help you in the drying process.
5. Start Checking for Mold or Mildew Growth
You need to be careful with mold as it can start to develop within 24 hours of water damage inside a home, and once it starts to grow, it can be very difficult to remove it from your property. That’s the reason why the faster you remove your belongings from the water and start drying them, the better your chances are going to be to protect them from mold or mildew growth.
It’s a good idea to work with a professional water damage restoration company, as they have the right tools and the gear to deal with all kinds of water damage. They will quickly dry out your home and ensure the threat of mold or mildew growth inside your home is eliminated.
Conclusion
Water damage can affect anyone and cause a whole host of problems for homeowners if they aren’t prepared to deal with the damage. The last thing you want is to come back to a flooded home, but the one thing that you can do is ensure that you can deal with the situation in the most appropriate manner. Follow the steps we have outlined above when you find water damage in your home, and you will make things a lot easier for yourself.
As always, we advise you to work with professional water damage restoration experts, as they know how to deal with insurance companies and the best process for drying out the home.