Daily Deals from a Nerd Mom

Flooding at your home, caused by burst pipes, rainfall, or storms, can severely impact your home and your life. The last thing you want to do is experience damage to water; however, for many people across the country, this is a reality. Whether caused by a system failure in your home or by Mother Nature’s wrath, water damage can cause misery to millions of homeowners each year. 

But what should you do if you find yourself experiencing a flood of any kind within your home? Taking immediate action can bring a sense of relief and control in a challenging situation.

Turn Off Utilities

If it’s safe to do so, you need to turn off all your utilities, including water, gas, and electricity. This can remove the risk of further damage from the water, especially your electrical systems. Failure to do so can lead to a potential disaster, as water and electricity are a dangerous combination, and you can be at risk of electrocution. So when you can turn everything off, but it’s not safe to do, don’t put yourself in harm’s way.

Clear Water

Depending on the severity of the food, you can access the property by scooping up water and moving it. Small floods can be tackled with household items like mops or brushes to push water outdoors. For more significant issues, you might need a more considerable clean-up effort, and the use of towels and dehumidifiers, or you might even need to call in Water Damage Restoration specialists to help you with more extreme damage and water levels, e.g., floods.

Open Windows

Everyone knows how damp, musty, and smaller you get when water penetrates different materials and becomes stagnant. No one wants that, so opening windows can enable you to dry out the moisture faster and allow air circulation through the building. While it won’t magically remove the risk of musty smells entirely, it can help the process and reduce the moisture within the building.

Document Damage

If you need to make a claim against other parties or with the insurance company, you need to document the damage caused by the flood. Even if it’s minor, such as ruined flooring, it’s important to take as many pictures and videos as you can. This will provide you with proof of what was damaged and what caused the issues in the first place, which is crucial for your insurance claim. Be sure to also keep any receipts for repairs or replacements.

Resolve Damage

Getting the experts to resolve any damage is the next step in the process. Once you have tackled the initial water levels and immediate concerns, call in experts to help assess your property and fix the cause of the flood if applicable. 

If it’s not caused by damage in your home, i.e., burst pipes, overflowing sewers, etc., then you should look to contact contractors for the damage caused by the floods. Whether you need to replace walls, floors, or anything else the water has ruined, replace or repair it. You can get your house back to normal as soon as possible.

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