Water damage repair can be one of the most invasive and time-consuming types of damage to have to handle. This is true whether you are dealing with your refrigerator flooding your kitchen, or a bad storm that flooded your whole neighborhood. There are a few things that you will need to do in order to get your home back to being livable again.
With Water Damage, You Need to Call Your Insurance
The first thing you need to do is call your insurance company. Even if you don’t have flood insurance, you should still file a claim. You will need to take pictures of as much of the damage as you can. If your insurance company sends a claims adjuster to inspect the damage, you may need to wait to start the cleanup. You will need to check to see if you can take your own pictures or if you should wait for a claims adjuster.
Water Damage Can Pose Hidden Dangers
Water always poses dangers, and even a small amount of water can pose a slip-and-fall risk. If the water damage is from “blackwater,” which is mainly sewage, it can pose serious health risks and you should not touch it. Floodwaters also pose a health risk. If you need to be in contact with water you are not sure is safe, then wear rubber boots and gloves to protect you from bacteria getting into your skin.
Electricity is another safety risk with water. If there is standing water and that water is in contact with an electrical outlet or device, then you will need to shut off the power to the area. You may not be able to get to your breaker to shut off your power without going into the water. In that case, you will need to call your electric company to turn off the power for you. Even just a little water – the size of a puddle – could electrocute you, so don’t risk it.
Get Started Right Away
This may be difficult if you have to wait for a claims adjuster or the power company. However, you will need to start getting rid of the water and drying out your possessions as soon as you can. When you’re drying everything, you’ll need patience. It will take a while for everything to dry. If you bring it back into your home when it is still damp, it could grow mold.
Consider Calling In the Professionals
Getting your home back into livable condition after water damage can be difficult. It will require much more than getting rid of the water and drying everything. Those tasks alone could require special equipment that you may not have access to. That is where a water damage repair and cleanup team, such as our experts at Extreme Carpet Care, can help. We have industrial pumps and vacuums to remove the water. Also, we have fans and dehumidifiers to dry everything completely, so we can restore the areas of your home that were damaged by the water. We can work with your insurance company and know how to document the damage. You don’t have to worry about anything except taking care of your family while we take care of your home. Give us a call today!
