Hello World! Welcome Friends! Flooding and water damage are among the most prevalent issues US homeowners face. According to Water Damage Defense statistics, more than 98% of basements in US homes are susceptible to flooding and are likely to suffer water damage at least once.
The sad thing about floods is that no matter how small or insignificant they seem, they can leave a lasting impact on your home and lead to damage that can be very costly to repair. Even if there is no visible damage to the flooring or any furniture, flooding can lead to long-term issues such as mold.
There are different reasons flooding may occur such as broken pipes, faulty plumbing, sewer backing up, heavy rainfall or other elemental disasters. No matter what the reason is behind the flooding, dealing with it as soon as possible is paramount in preventing any lasting damage. We spoke to the experts at Risk Free Serv to find out how you should act in case your home is exposed to a flood.
Make Sure You Are Safe First
A flood inside your home can be extremely risky to your health. One of the major concerns when flooding is whether or not water has come into contact with any electrical conduits. If so, flooding can be life-threatening. Therefore, make sure you switch off the main circuit breaker in your home, as well as disable all individual fuses before you deal with the flood.
If the level of water is too high, make sure you hire a professional electrician to check the power box and inspect the wiring. Make sure you always wear protective gear including a mask, as well as insulated gloves and boots (rubber, for example).
The water could also contain various contaminants, which is where the mask and the gloves might come in useful. Make sure you prevent your children from coming into contact with the floodwater and prevent them from eating any food that may have been exposed to it. Finally, move any furniture pieces away to higher ground if you thing it can be saved later.
Find the Source of the Flood
Once you’ve taken care of electrical issues, you can move on to locating the source of the flooding. This will prevent more water from entering your home and wrecking even more havoc. If the flooding is caused by faulty plumbing or a broken pipe, shut off the main water supply.
Evaluate the Damage
Take a video or pictures of the damage the flood has caused before you start cleaning everything up and removing the water from your home. This is a key step if you want to claim your home insurance and get the appropriate crawlspace waterproofing, and waterproofing in the rest of your home, done effectively. Make sure to take photos and document any damaged furniture and items, flooring, and walls as well as any other damage the water has caused. Keep a copy of these pictures to present when an insurance agent asks for them.
Contact Your Insurance Provider
Once you have everything documented and the crisis handled, contact public adjuster companies to notify them about the flooding. They will then dispatch an adjuster to evaluate the damage.
Seek an Experienced Water Damage Professional
You may want to cut the costs by handling the water damage on your own. However, the sooner you have everything handled the better for the damage. You need to deal with a flood as fast as possible to avoid costly repairs later on. This is why we recommend letting a professional water damage restoration company handle the damage. These companies have the experience and equipment to handle any damage easily and can also help you with your insurance claim.
Click the links below for any posts you have missed:
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Toodles,
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