The Top 4 Steps To Take When Your Home Is Flooded
Coming home to find water throughout your property is one of the worst things imaginable. Of course, nobody wants to see their property damaged by water, but this can occur for countless reasons, such as a broken pipe or heavy storms that enable water to seep into the home from a specific entry point. No matter how it happened, the first 24 hours are the most crucial, so it's important to know what you'll need to do to take immediate action to avoid excessive damage.
Step 1: Call a Water Damage Remediation Company
Always get help when dealing with water in your home. It's a lot of work to attempt to remove the water on your own using buckets or other equipment. However, if you hire professionals, they'll arrive promptly at your property with heavy-duty equipment designed to safely and efficiently suction water from each room before drying out all the moisture left behind. Explain your problem when you're on the phone with the company and find out how soon they'll be able to come out to you to assist with the situation.
Step 2: Turn Off the Electrical Supply
There is a real possibility of electrocuting yourself when walking through a home full of water. If it's safe for you to do so, take the time to turn off the electrical supply to your home before examining every room and working on removing specific items from those rooms.
Step 3: Start Moving Your Belongings
While you're waiting around for the help to arrive, you can begin moving out essential items you don't want to leave soaking in water. For example, if you have family heirlooms and keepsakes that will only get more damaged by sitting in the water, it's best to grab them and try to dry them off using clean towels.
Step 4: Identify the Root Cause of the Flooding
Once the water damage remediation specialists arrive at your home and begin taking on the tedious task of extracting all the water, they should be able to let you know the root cause of the flooding. For example, you may have cracks in your foundation that allow water to get into the home during a storm. If not, you could have a damaged pipe that was on its last leg and eventually cracked, causing tons of water to spill out everywhere. No matter what caused the issues, you'll need to hire professionals to fix the problem after the water remediation process is complete to ensure you don't have to deal with the problem again.
If you just came home to a house full of water and don't know what to do, follow these crucial steps. It's vital to take immediate action if you want to protect your home's integrity and prevent excess damage that could destroy your belongings.
Contact a water damage restoration service, such as ServiceMaster Restore, to learn more.
