Water Damage

How To Handle And Repair Water Damage

If your home has suffered a broken water pipe or recent flooding, there are several things that you should do to deal with the mess that it can leave behind.

Start by opening some doors and windows to ventilate the area. The more air flows you can get going through the area the better for drying it out. If it is really wet, call a restoration contactor right away.

Remove anything that is on the floor, in standing water or has otherwise been damaged by water. The longer it sits in water, the more likely it is to encourage mold and mildew growth.

Turn off the water if it's a water pipe and see what you'll need to have to repair the pipe, if it's the main pipe or you're unsure of plumbing, you may have to call in some experts for your help.

Water damage can happen for a variety of reasons and if you're able to identify the reason you're well ahead of the game.

In most instances you'll need to either remove or pull the carpeting up so that the floor underneath, as well as the carpeting, can dry out. If it remains it will harbor mold spores and can make everyone in your home sick.

Wipe down walls and other areas that are damaged by water. Especially concentrate on the mud and silt that it leaves behind as this can harbor more harmful mold and mildew.

Use a mild bleach solution for this and change your cleaning cloth as you go so that you're not putting more mold or mildew back onto it. If mold develops in the next few days, call a mold remediation specialist.

If you have personal belongings that are water logged, remove them and assess the damage. If they are severely damaged, you may need to throw simply them out to ensure your health.

Take pictures for your insurance settlement. The more pictures you can take, the better. Take pictures before you begin cleanup efforts and during the entire process so that you can log them all out for the adjuster.

Fans and small heaters will also help to dry out the area but keep in mind that heaters do need to be monitored. Never set them on something wet and avoid overuse as this can dry the wood out too quickly and cause even more damage.

Remember that water damage can be behind walls and deep underneath of floors so you may want to have a specialist look this over as well.