Four Important Things you Must Do After your Home Floods
A flood is one of the most damaging and devastating experience a homeowner can have. House flooding can be caused by sewer back-up, heavy rains, burst pipes and others. Regardless of the cause, you must know what you must do if your home floods. To minimize the amount of damage after, you must take care of the issue earlier. Here are some helpful tips:
Remain Safe
While you would want to flee your home safely if the flood is bad enough, make sure you can safely turn to deal with the aftermath. Ensure you turn off the power and wear protective clothing since water can come in contact with debris and even sewage. Protect yourself against harmful chemicals and items that may have been washed by the flood.
Stop and Remove Water
If possible, you should stop the water source. If the flooding is caused by a burst pipe, get the pipe fixed right away to reduce the water damage. If it is caused by a malfunctioning or broken sump-pump, replace it to keep up with further rains. Also, you may have to contact your city to eliminate debris from the storm drains. These tasks are usually too much for you to handle so it is best to leave water mitigation to the pros.
Dry Out your House
After removing the standing water from your house, everything will still be wet and damp. To deal with this problem, use your air conditioner and portable fans if you have power to dry out wet areas. Also, dehumidifiers can remove excess moisture from the air. But, a water mitigation company can professionally do this job for you.
Contact your Insurance Company
You want to check with your company if the damages caused by the flood are covered by insurance policy. They will send an adjuster to check and evaluate the damage and determine if it’s a covered loss.