Anywhere there is water there is the potential for water damage. Whether it be in the kitchen, the bathroom, laundry room or outside in the yard, when water ends up where it’s not supposed to be it can lead to damage.
If you’re lucky and quick, the water problem can easily be sopped up with a few bath towels. If you’re not lucky, and who is with these things, you’re going to have to do a bit more work. The primary idea is to get the water dried up in order to prevent severe damage to your floors and walls and other belongings.
You should know that water damage is divided into three categories by the professionals: Clean water, grey water and black water. Clean water has no major contaminants and is usually caused by broken water lines or over flowing sinks. Grey water can cause illness and has some minor contaminants and result from washing machines or sump pumps. The third category, Black water is what you get from a backed up sewer and contains solid human waste.
Whenever you deal with cleaning up a leak, it is best to wear protective clothing and sturdy gloves to protect yourself and those around you. This is extremely important if you have to work in grey or black water.
Finding a telltale water spot on your wall may lead you to groan, but it’s something that you should take care of as quickly as possible. Finding the source of the watermark and fixing it fast can prevent bigger problems later. Not only does the water leave stains, it can also encourage the growth of mold and mildew behind the wall that can cause illness and allergies.
If you happen to find a small ocean on your floor don’t walk into the middle of it to turn the faucet off. Turn the other way and go turn off the electricity before fetching your wading boots. Water may have already soaked the electrical lines and you don’t want to take chances.
With any unwanted water, you need to get it dried up as fast as you can. Use a wet-dry vacuum to suck up as much water as you can manage. After you have done that you need to provide a lot of air circulation to dry up the rest. Fans, dehumidifiers and anything that moves air will help. You will probably have to leave them working for at least a day or two.
If you had deep flooding, it is a good idea to remove the baseboards and disinfect them. Removing them will allow them to dry well and it will also give the area behind a chance to dry.
Cleaning, sanitizing and deodorizing the floors and carpet is extremely important. If you do the job well, it’s possible you won’t have to replace your carpet or padding. Getting it all bone dry is essential because mold and mildew love carpet padding.
Don’t forget to check your furniture for damage. Go through the same procedures to remove water and disinfect and deodorize.
If you’re able to get to the water quickly, you hopefully won’t have much water damage at all. If you have to call in the experts because of the amount of water, don’t hesitate. Your homeowners insurance should cover the expense.
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Tags: floods, home, home flooding, home improvement, water damage restoration
