Many homeowners struggle to decide what to do to make their houses look good after water damage.
If your home has been heavily damaged by water, you must figure out a way to achieve complete restoration. Remember that it’s critical to act swiftly to avoid further damage, minimizing your losses.
Following these steps can help you pull off a successful home recovery after a water disaster strikes.
- Work With Water Damage Restoration Professionals
Water damage, especially that caused by flash floods, can happen in an instant and may cause severe structural damage and loss of valuable household items. When that happens, you should best leave the repairing and restoring of your home to water damage restoration specialists that are available 24/7.
Water restoration companies are experts in handling the aftermath of water disasters at home, such as burst pipes and floods. They provide cleanup services, property inspection and assessment, and repairs.
Restoring your home should be done right away. That’s why it’s advisable to work with contractors who can readily provide water damage restoration services to begin the cleanup and repairs right after a disaster.
- Call Your Insurance Company Immediately
Regardless of what caused the water damage at your home, you should contact your insurance company as soon as possible.
As a general rule, sudden and accidental damage, such as water damage due to burst pipes or storms, is covered by homeowners insurance. On the other hand, the standard home insurance policy does not cover water damage due to floods or negligence in repairing plumbing problems.
After you’ve filed an insurance claim, the insurance company will send a claims adjuster to examine and assess the damage to your property and calculate your losses. It’s advisable to document the extent of water damage to your home.
Make a list of household items damaged or destroyed during the disaster and indicate their value and date of purchase, if possible. For good measure, take photos and videos and email these files to the insurance adjuster.
In the meantime, do your part to minimize the damage. For instance, use a sump pump to remove standing water from the house.
- Dry Out The Space
The next thing you should do is dry out the entire space and get rid of moisture.
Drying out your home right after extensive water damage is critical. Remember that molds can grow within 24 hours if water remains inside your property or your household items are saturated with water.
Move your furniture, rugs, curtains, and other sodden items to a well-ventilated area or under the sun to dry them out. This also allows you to remove any remaining water inside your home.
Also, inspect every corner of your house for any traces of moisture. You may place packs of desiccants inside your closets to absorb moisture. Using a portable dehumidifier also helps to remove water vapor in confined spaces.
Open up the windows and doors of your home to let fresh air blow inside. Open cabinet and closet doors as well. You may use high-powered fans or your heating system to blow air and warm up the interior of your house so you can completely get rid of all moisture.
- Start Cleaning Up
Once you’ve dried out the whole area and gotten rid of moisture, you’ll want to start doing an initial cleanup.
Flood water can be particularly messy as it can leave a lot of debris in its wake, including garbage, leaves, tree branches, etc. Wear protective clothing when clearing out flood debris to prevent injury from broken glass or other sharp objects.
Apart from the furniture and other sodden items you’re drying out in the sun, move all the rest of your household items out of the house so you can clean up the interior better. Throw out anything that’s been severely damaged by water.
Doing an initial cleanup will help you determine the extent of water damage in your property. If you think you cannot handle the cleanup because the damage is extensive, don’t hesitate to bring in professionals who can do the cleaning and repairs for you.
Final Thoughts
Seeing your home ravaged by flood or other water-related disasters can be incredibly frustrating for any homeowner. But know that even if you experience a catastrophe like this, you can take specific steps to prevent further damage and keep losses to a minimum.
Avoid making impulsive decisions when it comes to restoring your home. There will be losses, to be sure, but with the help of the right professional, your home can be repaired or renovated to make it look even better than it was before!