Whether you’re single, married or living with roommates. Whether you own or rent your home. Whether you have kids or not, it’s essential to know what to do when disaster hits your home. While, of course, emergency responders play a huge part in protecting us from the things that can go awry around the home, our reactions in those split second moments when we realize something’s awry can make all the difference.
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Because it’s winter and the weather can be unpredictable, today we’re going to look at household flooding. Floods can not only be caused by torrential rain and nearby rivers bursting their banks, they’re often also caused by damage to our home’s pipes and plumbing. We use so many modern appliances that rely on water it’s easy to assume that they work by magic. Until something stops working. In those vital moments, here are some things that everyone should do to mitigate the damage and ensure that they save as much of their home and their possessions as possible.
Stop the flow of water
Obviously, this can’t be done with rain or river water. But if your flood is caused by a plumbing mishap, the water is just going to keep on coming into your home and damaging everything it touches until you stop the flow. Your first port of call should be to shut off the appliance that’s leaking. If there are any valves near to it which you can get to, shut those off too.
If you’re at all unsure, shut off the water to the whole house. This useful guide will teach you how to find your main water shutoff valve. To be on the safe side it’s also a good idea to shut off your power, too.
Log all the damage
Don’t attempt to drain the water, just yet. First, document the damage by taking pictures on a digital camera or smartphone. These will be absolutely vital in backing up your insurance claim. Contact your insurance company straight away to notify them of the flood and check that it’s okay with them to start removing the water. Might sound silly, but you want to avoid doing anything that might invalidate your policy. You don’t want to wind up short changed after all you’ve been through.
Clear out the water
Time is of the essence, when it comes to getting the water out of your home. The longer you delay, the more damage will be done to your home. If you want to do it yourself, you’ll need to rent a sump pump and wet vac to remove the water and an industrial fan to dry out your carpets and flooring. These are available from most hardware stores. However, if you’d rather leave it to a professional, contact a reliable Disaster Restoration Contractor. Not only can they help you save your home and possessions, they may even be able to identify and fix the source of the flood.
In the days after the water is cleared keep an eye out for mold which can crop up in the aftermath of a flood. While you may face a little disruption in the days that follow, your swift thinking and reactions will have saved as much of your home as possible!