Crazy weather has been happening all over the world and is causing many to experience flooding for the first time in their lives. This means that many people are not prepared for it and have no idea where to start if there has been a flood.
It is important to take measures to not have to deal with too much damage such as securing your house. It isn’t just floods that cause water damage, however. You could have a burst pipe or even a leaking water heater that causes damage. Unfortunately, a flooded house can have a lot of damage from water and also mold if not treated properly. In this article, we will go over some of the steps to take in case your house has been flooded or if you have water damage.
1 – Turn everything off
Water and electricity don’t mix so if you have water getting into your home for any reason, you have to make sure that nobody gets electrocuted. The first thing to do is shut off the incoming electricity by flipping the circuit breakers that control your electricity. If the water were to reach an outlet or an appliance then this can send a shock through the water and be very dangerous to you or your pets.
You should also turn off the water supply especially if the flood is happening due to a water leak somewhere. This will limit how much damage you end up getting.
2 – Call a service
Getting all of the water out of your house and then cleaning the damage from the water is a tall order for most people. You probably don’t have the right equipment to be able to do it properly so you risk causing serious mold problems. The best bet is to call for help by contacting a water damage restoration company to come and get rid of the water and clean it to make sure there is no risk of mold developing.
They have the type of equipment that can handle just about anything. Over the course of a day or two, they can have your house look as though nothing happened once they finish. They also tend to guarantee their work so if there is a problem later you have some recourse.
3 – Document everything
You are going to be dealing with an insurance company after you’ve dealt with the aftermath of the flood. Usually, this can be a painful process. To make sure things go smoothly you will need to present a lot of documentation.
Make sure to take pictures of everything so that it is clear what happened. Take pictures of the damage from the water as well.
Make a note of every phone call you make and save every email so you can show that you did your due diligence to resolve the problem. When you’re making a claim this is all going to help you so you don’t risk getting denied damages.
