What to Do If Your Home Has Water Damage

2/25/2019 (Permalink)

What to Do If Your Home Has Water Damage

The first half of the year tends to be some of the wettest in Indiana. From the frozen, saturated ground of late winter to the constant rain storms of spring, dealing with the water and trying to keep it out of your house can be a constant battle. So what do you do if your home should be the unfortunate victim of water damage this time of year? Below we will go over the steps you should take to lessen the water damage and get your home restored quickly.

Shut Off the Water

If the water is coming from a broken pipe, then you will want to shut off the water immediately. If the water is flooding into your home from the outside, then there may not be much you can do.

Move Valuables to Higher Ground

If you are experiencing flooding, you will want to move any valuable furniture and household goods to a second floor or up onto a countertop or table. You especially want to move any photo albums, books, and clothes to an area that is less prone to be flooded like a second story floor.

Take Pictures of the Damage

It’s important to take pictures of the water damage before trying to clean things up or remove the water. If you have a flooded basement or flooded first floor, be sure to take pictures of all the water damage. This can be important and helpful when filing an insurance claim. If the water damage came from a burst pipe, be sure to take a picture of the pipe.

Don’t Use Electricity in Water Damaged Areas

If you should suffer extensive water damage, you may want to cut off the power to the whole house. However, if your circuit box is in an affected area, like a basement, do not touch or attempt to check the circuit box. If your circuit breaker is in a dry area, then you may want to make sure the circuits to the water damaged area have been tripped. If they haven’t, you may want to flip them off to reduce any risk of electrical shock.

Start Removing the Water

If you can get the water out of your house, start doing it as quickly as possible. While a water damage restoration company, like SERVPRO of Indianapolis West, will remove all of the water; you can reduce the severity of the damage by starting to remove the water. The longer the water sits in your home, the more time it has to damage your home. Standing water can soak further into your drywall, insulation and wood framing leading to more damage from the water which can quickly lead to mold growth and damage.

Get the Air Circulating

To help reduce the risk of mold damage, it’s important to get the air circulating. If the weather is nice, you can open your windows and doors to allow the outside air to blow through the home. You can also employ fans and blowers to get fresh air circulating around the water damage. If you are in a basement or an area that is particularly damp, you can also use dehumidifiers to draw the moisture out of the air. This can all help to reduce any further water or mold damage to your home.

Call the Water Damage Restoration Professionals

The last step is the most important step to take to get your home back to normal quickly. Don’t just trust anyone to restore your damaged home, trust the professionals at SERVPRO of Indianapolis West. They have the knowledge, expertise, and equipment to handle any size disaster. From water damage to mold damage to fire damage and more, they have the skills and expertise to clean up the mess, fix the damage, and return your home back to normal. Give them a call any time and any day for your fire, water and mold damage problems.