Upon returning home from a flood, you are faced with the problem of cleaning up the mess. You want to make sure that you are doing the right steps so that your claim to insurance company is smooth. The following are 6 tips on what you can do when your home suffer from a water damage.
1. Identify Water Leaks Sources
First of all, you must know where the water is leaking from. The pool of standing water can be as a result of a burst in the plumbing line beneath the flooring and wall, in the cabinet or in the crawl space. Usually, the area where the pipe burst will be slightly damp and feel cool to the touch. Drips in plumbing line are indicator that somewhere on the pipes may have been ruptured. Other possible leak sources are holes in the roof, running toilet or leaks from outdoor faucets.
2. Stop All Water Sources and Shut Down the Electricity
You must stop all water sources before proceeding to perform assessment on the damage. To prevent electrocution, make sure the plugs of the appliances have been removed from the outlet. Next, you can open your fuse box to turn off the main switch as well as other switches that connect the electricity to your house.
3. Taking Photos of Damages
Now, you must use a camera to take photos of all the damages in the house. Taking photos of the damages with a digital camera is the best as these photos can be stored on your computer and easy to copy to another device. It is important not to perform any repair on the house prior to taking photos. If you perform a repair, it can reduce the amount of coverage that you will qualify. FEMA advises homeowners to wear waterproof boots so that your feet will be protected from the chemicals that may have seeped into the flood water.
4. Call Your Insurance Company
After you have taken all the photos, you can now call the insurance company and submit your claim. The insurance company may sent an adjuster to perform an inspection and find out the extent of the water damage on the property.
5. Remove Water
Once the claim is approved, you can remove all the furniture, carpet, bedding, and everything else from the flooded area. Next, you are to use a sump pump to suck away the standing water. The windows should be opened so that the air can come in and dry up the area. You should try to remove the standing water as fast as you can to prevent the mold problem from getting worse. If you have any rug or tapestry that is soaked in water, you can hire a professional to dry it. To tackle with a mild mold growth, you can use a non-ammonia detergent to clean it.
6. Hire a Flood Restoration Service
If you find it troublesome to clean up the house after a flood, you can hire a flood restoration service. You can find a reputable flood restoration service by from the yellow pages. The BBB site is also a good place to search for established flood restoration service.
