Just imagine you were on a break, and you come back from a vacation. As you open the door, you see water all over the place. You can see your furnishing, carpeting, walls all soaked in water. Such a situation creates panic. Read on further to know what to do when you find water damage in your home.
Water damage is a challenging issue. It can occur because of a flood, bursting of a pipe, leakage in the flooring, heavy rainfall etc. Approximately 14000 people in the U.S. experience water damage emergency at home or work every day. Around 37% of U.S hometown claim water damage related insurance every year.
You have so many doubts at this moment. What should you do? How did this happen? Who should you call?
This blog guides your way towards water damage.
1) Ensure your safety
Safety should be the first thing to be taken care of properly. We all know that water can conduct electricity, and if you roam in water without proper precautions, you may get yourself electrocuted. It would help if you also kept in mind that the water can be dirty and contain sewage, leaves, branches, bio-hazards, waste etc., which can cause skin infections.
Follow the precautions. You should switch off the water inlet, gas pipeline, and power supply; otherwise, you may get hurt. While moving in the house, you should wear long sleeves shirt, trouser, face mask, face shield, gloves, and long boots not to catch any infection.
2) Identify the source of the water
Initially, start with identification of the source of water. The water can be coming from a leaking pipe, bursting of a line, or maybe from the flooring.
In case of flood, the flood water can enter your house. If the water is coming from a pipe, then you should close the main pipeline. You can install automatic shutoff valves which switch on when the water enters the premises. It will reduce the water damage.
3) Removing the water
Removing the water from the home is crucial to reduce the damage. The longer the water stays, the greater the damage will do and will cost you more. Remove the water with the help of a shop vac, water pump, gas pump or an electric pump.
The advantage of employing an automatic system is that they are quick, and you only have to set them, and the rest is taken care of properly. Use a bucket if the water is less, but this may increase the damage due to the delay and is an exhausting method.
If you employ any pump, you must follow the instruction mentioned and take care of the safety measures.
4) Clean the place and removing the debris
After draining the water, it is crucial to identify the valuable things and which are not. Throw all the food items that might have come in contact with the water and cause stomach infection, dysentery, jaundice, and any more illness,
Those in contact with water for more than 48 hours are not safe and might encounter mold growth. It would help if you went through them as mold can cause nasal and lung infection you. It would help if you also replaced the carpeting, drywall etc., as they are probably damaged.
Keep the things that can be used and throw the rest.
5) Drying the place
After cleaning the place, the place must be dried out completely. Dampness and moisture attract mold, which can grow within 24-48 hours of water exposure. Mold can grow on any surface and hollow it.
It would help if you opened all the windows, doors, and fans so that the place gets proper ventilation. Fresh air and sunlight will dry the area faster. You can also install dehumidifiers as they can expedite the process several times.
The quickly all the things are dried out, the lesser the chance of mold growth will be.
6) Restore and move back
After the restoration, you need to obtain all the required authorization from the concerned bodies. Once you receive the grant, you can move back to your house and start living your life again.
