How to Deal with Water Damage to Your Home

2/12/2019 (Permalink)

If you’re facing water damage, there are some steps you can take to minimize the costs of restoring your home. The following are tips that can help you lessen the effects of any future water damage.

Just remember that depending on the extent of the damage, sometimes your smartest move is to call a professional right away.  Your first priority needs to be making sure you and your family are safe.

Safety First

Before you can clean and restore your home, you first have to get rid of the mess. 

Molds and bacteria flourish and grow in any damp space with little air flow, and can be very dangerous. Anyone working on cleaning-up water damage ought to wear protective clothing such as masks, gloves, and safe footwear. 

Electrical hazards and the potential to slip and fall are the other major safety concerns – only perform those clean-up activities you know to be safe. 

When belongings get wet, they can become much heavier than normal; you don’t want to attempt to lift something that is too heavy and hurt your back on top of everything else!

Remove Damaged Items

If your basement has flooded, you need to get the damaged items out. Unfortunately, many things may be beyond saving, or easier and cheaper to just replace rather than try to salvage. If you can make some of these decisions earlier rather than later, it may help you save costs in the long run.

Remove Water and Let Your Home Dry

Sometimes, the amount of water will be too much to remove yourself and you should call your cleaning and restoration professionals right away. Prop-up wet cushions and upholstery somewhere they can dry out. And place a piece of aluminum foil or wood blocks between furniture legs and wet carpeting to prevent further water damage.  

Ripping up soaked carpet will most likely be necessary - be careful of nails and carpet tacks.

DO NOT use any electrical appliances that may have gotten wet or damaged themselves.  A household vacuum cleaner is generally not a good option for cleaning-up after water damage, however, if you can get your hands on a commercial grade shop vacuum, that may help you clean and save some money in the process.

Disinfect

Once you’ve removed the water and damaged items, you’ll want to use a disinfectant to clean up the remaining affected areas. There are some green products that are safe to use and can help make a difference to the amount of professional grade cleaners you may ultimately need. Just be sure to read the labels and wear your protective gear.

Get the Air Circulating

The extent of bacteria and mold growth will depend on a number of factors, including moisture level, temperature, and the presence of wood and paper materials on which they can feed. If significant mold growth develops, that will increase your remediation costs – so it’s important to start drying as much as you can as soon as you can.

While your household fans can’t compete with professional equipment, they certainly can help and ultimately reduce remediation costs. Running a dehumidifier can also help remove excess humidity from the affected environment. 

If you do require professional water damage restoration services, the professionals at SERVPRO of Eatontown / Long Branch offer 24-hour emergency service. We’re a locally owned and operated company here in your community providing the highest caliber water inspection, extraction, drying, and restoration equipment and service.