What to Do After a Flood in Your House: 4 Ways to Deal With Water Damage
Few things can be as damaging to a home as a flood. The very nature of water damage and what it can do the structural integrity of your house by compromising foundations and structural supports necessitates that you deal with the damage as soon as you find it.
If you have had the misfortune of being a recent victim of water damage to your home, never fear. You’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll provide you with four critical answers to the question, “what to do after a flood in your house?”
Remove Water
The first thing to do once you’ve stopped the flow of water into your home and taken pictures is to start removing water from your home. There are a few different ways to do this.
First up, you have the trusty option of using a bucket to get standing water out and a mop and/or heavy-duty fans to dry up some of the soaked-in water. However, if you’re able to afford it, try getting a sump pump out of a hardware store.
These tools will quickly remove water. They cost between $200-$500, and some hardware stores may even have rental units available so you don’t have to pay the entire cost up-front. Another tool to invest in is a wet vac, which can suck up much of that soaked-in water.
Reduce Mold Growth
The next step when dealing with water damage is to mitigate mold growth. Everyone knows that getting mold in your home is a surefire recipe to compromise the air quality inside your house, and nothing grows mold like a wet surface.
Reduce mold growth by immediately disinfecting all wet surfaces. The solution you use should be at least 10% bleach to kill the growing fungi.
Document Everything
When dealing with any amount of significant damage to your home, it’s important that you document everything right from the start. Take tons of pictures and keep track of how much the flood damage is going to cost you in repairs as well as replacements of lost items.
If you have homeowner’s insurance, your insurance company may take care of a lot of these expenses for you. And if your location was marked as a disaster area, then you may be eligible for publicly-funded relief as well.
Call In A Restoration Company
Last but not least, consider calling in a professional restoration company to check out and fix the water damage. These guys are trained in doing everything that needs to be done to ensure that your home doesn’t have any long-lasting negative effects from the flood.
The extra cost may be well worth it when you consider how much of your home’s value you’ll be saving.
Know What To Do After A Flood In Your House
There you have it — now that you know what to do after a flood in your house, it’s time for you to use these tips to protect and fix your own home.
For more home improvement advice, be sure to check out the rest of the articles on the website!