Water damage can be a significant issue. In the blink of an eye, water can cause thousands of dollars in damage to your property, and you might be wondering how to clean it up. In addition, you must make sure you prevent it from happening next time.
To effectively clean up water, you will need to stop the source of the leak before removing standing water with the appropriate equipment. Then, by installing the appropriate products, you can reduce your chances of dealing with water damage in the future.
What are a few of the most important points you need to keep in mind?
Cleaning Up Standing Water and Flood Water
If you want to clean up standing water in your home, there are a few steps you need to take. They include:
1. Stop the Source of the Water Damage
There are different types of water damage you might have throughout your home. For example, you might have water coming from the rain, or you might have water coming from leaky pipes. You need to stop the source of the water leakage, and that will probably mean shutting off the water in your house. If you know where your water main is located, you need to shut it off as quickly as possible.
2. Shut Off Your Other Utilities
You also need to take steps to shut off your other utilities. Remember that there are a lot of hazards that could be present in standing water, and you can get rid of some of them if you disconnect your other utilities. This means that you need to shut off your electricity and gas. That way, you can reduce your chances of a disaster taking place.
3. Dry Your Wet Floors and Affected Areas as Quickly as Possible
In addition, you need to dry your home and get rid of excess water as quickly as possible. You need to act fast when you repair water damage, as you could start to deal with mold and mildew in as little as 24 hours.
Mold and mildew like to grow in locations that have lots of warmth and moisture. To prevent mold and mildew from growing, you need to get rid of that moisture. You should try to remove as much furniture from the room as possible, and then deploy fans throughout the floor. If the water damage is extensive, you might even need to get some pumps or a household vacuum that can remove the water from your property.
4. Contact Your Insurance Company
You will probably need some help repairing the water damage, and that means reaching out to general contractors. Hiring people to restore water damage can be expensive, and that is why you should reach out to your insurance company to file a claim.
You should make sure that you have plenty of evidence that will support where the water damage has come from. Then, your insurance company can start working with your general contractor to get them the finances they need to start the repair process.
5. Identify Sources of Hidden Moisture
After this, you will need to identify some sources of hidden moisture as well. For example, just because the room looks dry doesn’t mean you have gotten rid of all of the moisture. You should always check underneath the floorboards and underneath your carpet to see if water has spread throughout these areas.
If you have water present in these locations, you might need to reach out to an expert who can help you.
6. Inspect for Mold and Perform Mold Remediation
Regardless of your best efforts, there is a chance that you will have mold and mildew throughout your property. If you find mold, you need to be careful. Mold can release spores that can be incredibly toxic to humans, and even a small mold issue can get out of hand quickly.
You should always reach out to a professional who specializes in mold remediation to help you get rid of mold and mildew. If you have filed a claim with your insurance company, your home insurance policy may cover the cost of mold remediation.
7. Seal, Caulk, Repair, and Replace
With all of the moisture and mold gone, the next step is to repair and replace anything that might have been damaged. For example, you might need to seal any windows that might have been damaged, and you might need to caulk some of your floors.
You might be thinking about handling this on your own, but if you want it done correctly, you should consider reaching out to a professional who can help you. That way, you can reduce your chances of having to go back and redo the process down the road.
8. Think Carefully About Your Flooring
If you need to replace some of your flooring, you need to think carefully about what you install. For example, even though wooden floors are beautiful, they are extremely prone to water damage. You might want to think about waterproof options you can install as well, such as waterproof vinyl and ceramic tile.
This is particularly important if you live in an area that is prone to being damaged by water. You don’t want to deal with mold growth or a flooded basement, so choose your floors carefully.
If you follow these steps, you should be able to reverse some of the water damage that has taken place on your property. Keep in mind that you should reach out to an expert who can help you.
Preventing Water Damage From Happening Next Time
Do not forget that you also need to take steps to prevent water damage from happening in the future. Some of the most important steps you should take include:
Inspect Your Roof
If you have water damage throughout your home because a severe storm came through, you should inspect your roof to identify areas of leakage or damage. If your roof hasn’t been inspected in a while, it could be vulnerable to a leak.
Consider reaching out to an expert who can provide you with a comprehensive roof inspection. Then, if you identify issues with your roof, address them as quickly as possible. Reduce your chances of dealing with water damage in the future.
Replace Vulnerable Appliances
There is also a chance that you might have an appliance in your home that started leaking. For example, you may have an old dishwasher, or you may have an old washing machine. While replacing your appliances can be expensive, dealing with water damage in your home is even more expensive.
One of the best ways to deal with this issue is to replace vulnerable appliances that might be prone to leaking in the future. There are plenty of new appliances that have a much lower chance of leaking, so consider reaching out to an expert who can provide you with some options.
Install Products That Automatically Shut Off
Finally, you may want to install some products that will automatically shut off in the event of a leak. Now, there are modern products that can detect when a leak is taking place, and these products can automatically reduce, restrict, or halt the flow of water throughout your plumbing system to reduce the chances of dealing with water damage.
For example, you might want to install a home protection valve that can monitor your water flow and help you reduce water damage in the event of an appliance leak or a ruptured pipe. You also may want to install additional leak detectors that can protect from any type of water leak.
DROP has plenty of choices available, so consider taking a look at all our products and protecting your home against water damage. The water damage cleanup process can be challenging, but with the right equipment, you can reduce your chances of dealing with extensive water damage again.