Water Damage Restoration Tips and Tricks

Water can be unpredictable, relentless, and destructive in the wrong circumstances. In short, it’s a powerful element. This becomes alarmingly apparent in the face of a natural disaster. In addition, more common occurrences, such as leaking pipes, burst sewer lines, and snowmelt, can also leave your home severely water-damaged. For this reason, you must learn how to deal with the damage as a responsible homeowner. So to help you out, we have compiled a list of water damage restoration tips and tricks.

Suppose your property is affected by water damage. In that case, you must identify the cause and act quickly to avoid further destruction.

What Does Water Damage Affect and Why is it Important to Act Fast?

Water is critical to life, but it can also destroy everything in its path and leave you with a huge mess to clean up. As a homeowner, it is important to understand what water can seriously damage within your home. To be safe, always inspect the following locations for damage:

• First, drywall
• Second, appliances
• Third, floor coverings
• Then, plaster
• After, insulation
• Once you inspected insulation, then inspect wood
• Equally important is to inspect framing
• Electrical wiring
• Pipes
• Finally, HVAC

Water can wreak havoc on your home or businesses’ foundation and quickly wrack up a hefty restoration bill if left unattended. Therefore, our most crucial water damage restoration tip to you is that you act swiftly once you become aware of any sort of damage.

Water Damage Restoration Tips

Water Damage Restoration Tips #1: Call a Professional

The first and most important factor when faced with water damage is safety. So align yourself with appropriate local resources and professionals to assist you, including fire and police, mechanical contractors, insurance, utility, and restoration services.

Water Damage Restoration Tips #2: Know How to Shut Off Water Sources

Before any water damage occurs, familiarize yourself with water shut-offs for quick access. Swift action is critical to minimize loss, mitigate risk, and protect assets. As soon as water damage happens, turn off the water source.

Water Damage Restoration Tips #3: Disconnect Outlets and Turn off Electricity

The first thing to do when you discover water damage in your home is to unplug all electronics immediately. Although you may not see the severity of the water damage just yet, it’s important to be cautious around appliances and gas lines. Using electrical appliances despite the situation could cause electrical shocks or even explosions. In addition, ensure you are also on the lookout for water coming through light fixtures or electrical boxes.

Water Damage Restoration Tips #4: Identify the Source and Types of Water.

After shutting off the water supply, assess the degree of contamination to determine a water damage remediation plan. Moreover, be aware of the associated health effects depending on contamination level. If you are unsure of the contamination level of your home, steer clear of any contact and wait for professional help.

Water Damage Restoration Tips #5: Relocate or Protect Valuable Contents

Clear the water-damaged area of all valuable items, including electronics, computers, furniture, artwork, files and documents, clothing, etc. Have plastic garbage bags at hand for covering valuables, as well as caution tape, duct tape, and basic hand tools.

Water Damage Restoration Tips #6: Contain and/or isolate the area(s) of damage

Protect staff and on-site emergency personnel. For example, you could create a plastic barrier around the perimeter of the contaminated area and cord off with caution tape.

Water Damage Restoration Tips #7: Dry Water Out

Mitigation is absolutely crucial during the water damage restoration process. Before more damage occurs, you need to remove standing water and dry out the affected areas. Water restoration companies use industrial fans or large-capacity dehumidifiers to circulate air and dry out wet carpeting, wood, and surrounding porous materials.

Water Damage Restoration Tips #8: Remove Damaged Materials from the Affected Area

Although it’s possible to dry out porous materials, such as insulation or carpets, you might need to dispose of them immediately if the damage is severe. This is especially important to avoid mold and mildew. Mold can start growing as early as 24 hours after water exposure. Regardless, damage mitigation and restoration should focus on ceilings and floors first. This means unsealed cement, drywall, and wood need to be addressed and replaced in order to protect the home’s structure.

Water Damage Restoration Tips #9: Disinfect Remaining Areas

As we mentioned before, depending on the types of water you are dealing with, it can contain many bacteria and other hazardous materials. Moreover, excess moisture could also encourage mold. For this reason, it is essential to sanitize the water-damaged area immediately. Water damage repair companies generally spray and wipe down surfaces with bleach and other professional disinfectants, so the mold spores don’t grow.

Water Damage Restoration Tips #10: Inspect for Mold Growth

We can’t stress this enough. Inspecting your home for mold after any type or amount of water damage is of the most importance. Certain mold strains are toxic to humans and pose serious health risks.

Mold can spread quickly once it infests an area, so it is in your best interest to inspect for growth to avoid any health hazards. You can cut out the area, bag it, and dispose of it immediately for small issues.

On the other hand, severe mold infestations need serious restoration. For example, any airflow must be shut down immediately to stop contamination. Only an experienced mold restoration specialist should take care of the job. Often, mold can appear inside the walls or floors, so this inspection must be ongoing throughout the restoration.

Call your Insurance Company

Standard homeowners insurance policy covers water damage, as long as it’s not due to negligence or flooding. For instance, your insurance company is more likely to cover a sudden burst pipe than a slow, gradually leaky pipes. However, don’t hesitate to consult with your insurance agent to ensure your coverage.

If you need any help with filing, negotiating, and settling your water damage insurance claim, don’t hesitate to AllCity Public Adjusting. Call AllCity Adjusting for your public adjuster needs today!