There is nothing more heartbreaking than coming home after a long day only to find it flooded. The mess can be too much to handle, not to mention the water damage to your property. Although you can do flood cleanup right away, there is always going to be some lasting damage left by all that water.
It is important for every homeowner to know what to do in case there is flooding at home. This will not only save you a lot of money for water damage restoration but it can also potentially save lives.
The following are some of the key steps you can take to address the issue!
Shut Off the Main Water Supply
Flooding can be caused by two things. First, it could be a broken pipe within the house or secondly, flooding of nature. However, a huge portion of flooding cases is triggered by plumbing issues within the house.
So, if you notice that the spaces have flooded, the first thing to do will be to shut off the main water supply pipes.
That way, you will prevent the issue from getting worse as you try to locate the exact cause of the flooding. And besides, you cannot do water damage repair if the water is still flowing.
Turn Off the Electricity
The combination between water and electricity is deadly. As soon as you step into the house, you must also shut down the electricity. This will help reduce the risks of electric shocks in case the water comes into contact with a live wire or line.
Also, by shutting the electricity, you may end up protecting important appliances that may have been exposed to the water as well. But in most cases, this is done more as a precautionary measure.
Begin Salvaging What You Can
There may be some parts of your house that are yet to be inundated with the flooding water. You need to get there as fast as you can and get items out or towards places that are dry.
Remember if you can limit how much comes into contact with the water, you are likely going to spend much less when you start to do the repairs.
Try to focus on high-value stuff. For example, you can get the appliances out of the way, followed by the furniture, and the carpets as well.
Take Pictures and Call Your Insurance Company
In case you are covered under the homeowner’s insurance plan, then you are likely going to receive some compensation after flooding. But you must document the incident and gather as much evidence as you can.
Taking pictures is a great way of doing this. It helps to show the extent of the damage caused. You may also want to call your insurance provider before you even bring in the water damage contractors. Let them know what happens and that you will be filing a claim.
Stay Out of the Water
If the flooding is caused by a natural event like a storm, you have to stay out of the water. Your health comes first and unless you have the right gear to protect yourself, you have no business being in that water.
Also, sometimes flooded water can carry with it dangerous creatures including snakes. The last thing you want is to be dipping your bare feet in deep waters that could be harboring some wildlife.
Call a Contractor
The final step is to call a water restoration service. These are simply the experts that will help you recover your home and everything in it after the flooding. There are of course many contractors out there to choose from.
But as a rule, always pick companies that have dealt with this kind of issue before and those that understand what needs to be done to get you back in that house as soon as possible.
Contact a local water damage restoration company to repair your home before the issue gets worse!
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