Call Your Insurance
If you’re covered by water damage insurance, be sure to snap photos of your damaged property beforehand to file a claim!
Disconnect All Outlets
Whether it’s your phone charger, computer, or any other electrical appliances, this is the very first step you should be doing, whatever the case may be. This is done to prevent electrocutions, electric shocks, or even in a worse case scenario, fires, and explosions. It’s vital to unplug all of your electronic devices once you’ve been notified or discover water damage in your household.
Dry The Damaged Area
Moisture could lead to mold and other types of damages. It could affect the structure of your house if not removed quickly. Use fans and point directly at the damaged area, or rent a large dehumidifier to ensure remove all of the moisture. Opening your windows can also allow for air to circulate more efficiently. While doing these procedures, remember to open closets and cabinet doors to properly dry out all of your surroundings.
Although this is an ideal short-term solution, mold could still be growing in these areas, so you’re better off calling the professionals to get it properly disinfected for the long-term. Keep in mind that water damage usually takes a full 2-5 days to fully dry out, but this time frame may vary from household to household. The more ventilation the moisture receives, the faster you can settle down, so utilizing more fans will lead to better results, however, you should always consult with a professional to ensure you don’t encounter structural damage.
Remove & Replace
After drying the area, we need to remove the furniture, appliances, and any other objects that have also been affected by the water damage. You may want to throw out any porous materials and furniture that have been affected, as water damage will permanently damage them. Your furniture and appliances should be all dried out within a couple of days. Ensure they are fully dried before moving them back in.
Other things to do include – removing your wet/damp drywall is also necessary, as drywall is meant to stay dry, and having contact with moisture will result in more damages to your drywall. Replacing any damaged insulation should also be done as soon as possible, to prevent any electric shocks or electrical fires. This segment should be carried out by a qualified electrician for safety reasons. Check or hire a professional to check the ceilings, and remove/replace any infected panels or boards, especially if it is caused by roof problems/leaks. This needs to be done in order to prevent them from eventually collapsing.
Water could massively soak into your floors, and therefore it’s better off that you check if any moisture has been trapped under your flooring. If you’re about to change your floors, you could swap out your current flooring for new waterproof flooring to future-proof yourself just in case any water damages occur. Finally, if you have any damaged wood that has been affected, pry apart them and clean the area beneath thoroughly, before replacing them.
Disinfect The Damaged Area
Disinfecting should be carried out by professionals with the necessary equipment and the vital precautions put into place. But, if you’re doing it yourself, be sure to put on rubber boots, gloves, goggles, as well as an N95 mask. A bleach solution is the most commonly used within households who have been affected by water damage, use it to wipe down and to spray the affected surfaces, to ensure mold spores don’t come back.
Final Touches
Finally, once the water damages have all been cleaned up, go ahead and do the final touches of re-painting, and replacing any other necessities that have been damaged, also ensure all appliances are working, and that all furniture has been fully dried.
Once that’s all done, you can future-proof yourself if needed, or do whatever possible to avoid having water damage in your home again. Such as investigating leaks as soon as possible, install water detection devices, as well as to clean and maintain the gutters every so often.
