It’s inevitable that your home will suffer some form of damage during a weather disaster like a flood. But there are a few things you can do to minimize the resulting damage.
Safety First
In the case of floods, damage mitigation comes after the flood has subsided and has to be done within 24 to 48 hours. However, safety should always be your main priority. If the floods haven’t completely subsided, there’s no use coming back to salvage your belongings; belongings can be replaced, but lives cannot.
Safety Precautions
Before you inspect your home, make sure to turn the main power switch off. When inspecting flooded parts of your home like your basement, wear waders, waterproof boots and rubber gloves to make sure contaminated flood water doesn’t seep into any open wounds.
Take Pictures
If you have home insurance, refrain from doing any repairs until you can contact your insurer; repairs could decrease the extent of the coverage. Take pictures, and document the flood damage first, and then call your insurer, and ask them about what temporary repairs you can do without jeopardizing your coverage.
Pump Out Flood Water
The first step to water damage restoration would naturally be getting rid of the flood water. After getting the go-ahead from your insurer, use a sump pump and a wet vac to pump flood water out of your home.
Get Rid of Flood-Soaked Items, Make Surfaces Clean
After all the water has been pumped out, your next immediate concern should be preventing mold. Mold can start to form on wet surfaces within 24 to 48 hours.
The first thing to do is to get rid of flood-soaked items. Rugs can still be salvaged, but it’s harder to clean and dry furniture. As such, it would be better to get rid of them. Don’t forget to take pictures of damaged furniture for insurance purposes.
Next, clean the walls using a non-ammonia detergent or pine oil cleaner, and disinfect the surface using a 10% bleach solution. Spray a little solution on a small area first to see how the surface reacts.
Keep in mind there’s always a chance flood waters might have seeped deeper into your walls and sockets, causing more extensive damage. In which case, it’s better to hire a contractor.
Dynasty Restoration Inc. is a general contractor with two decades’ worth of experience. We specialize in storm restoration repair services. To get a free estimate, call us at (402) 205-2877, or fill out this form.
