What Exactly Should You Do After a House Flood?
Even if you don’t live in a flood-prone area, that doesn’t mean it will never happen to you. Floods happen all across the world, so you can’t discount suffering from bad weather events or plumbing problems. It’s so bad that the damages from flooding cost $8 billion annually in the United States.
A house flood can be a stressful experience, but there are things you can do to get through and minimize the damage. Follow the steps below the next time you have a flooded house.
Stop the Water Flow
Stopping the water flow is the first step you must take when you have a flood in your home. This may not be possible if you’re flooding because of the weather. But it still pays to look for where the flooding is occurring to see if you can stop it.
However, you have more control when you have a leak in your home causing flooding. You should be able to track down the source of the leak and shut off the water in your home. This will prevent future water buildup and stop further damage.
Cut the Electricity
In some cases, you’ll have a leak that exists inside your walls. The problem is that electricity also runs there and is exposed to water if you leak. This is a significant hazard you can’t afford to have.
Cut the electricity to the parts of your home with water issues. This will prevent any severe problems because of damage buildup and prevent fires. Once you take care of the standing water, you’ll need to work with an electrician to inspect your wiring for damage.
Document the Flood
Once you take care of safety concerns, the next step is documenting everything that happened. Take pictures of all the affected areas and document damage to your home and furnishings.
You’ll need this information when you reach out to your insurance company. They will want to see first-hand what kind of damage there is since they probably won’t be able to visit your home immediately. They will likely arrive after the clean-up to perform an evaluation.
Start Drying Things
The first step you should take to start taking care of your flooded home is to dry things out. Soak up as much water as you can to remove all standing water. An easy way to do this is to purchase a ShopVac to suck everything up.
You’ll also need to dry out things as much as possible. The longer you have wet carpet and other areas, the more chance of mold growing. You can set fans in affected areas to speed up the drying process.
If you want the job done right, it pays to reach out to a professional company to get help. They will know the best way to dry your home to ensure you don’t have any future moisture problems.
Disinfect Your Home
You don’t know how clean the water in your home is. This is especially true if it’s from a pipe. You may not know if it’s dirty water or clean water heading to your sinks.
The same is valid for rainwater. It could be full of debris from your roof or full of dirt from your yard. In either case, you don’t want that mess in your home.
That’s why you’ll need to disinfect the impacted areas in your home. Get cleaning solutions to remove the bacteria from the flood areas and dry everything off after you’re done.
The same is true for any furnishings that got wet. Clean them as well as you can if you plan to keep them.
Contact Your Insurance Company
Contacting your insurance company is something you shouldn’t wait to do. You can do this after cleaning and disinfecting your home or work with them during the process.
Regardless of your choice, send them your documentation of the flood. Send them every photo you took, the damaged furniture and items, and the bills you have so far.
The insurance company will probably send an adjustor to your home to check things out. They will verify the damage and determine if the flood qualifies for compensation.
However, not every insurance company has coverage for floods. You may need to purchase this separately if you want compensation. Visit Betterflood.com to learn more about getting flood insurance.
Repair the Damage
Once you have a payout from the insurance company or have the cash to cover the damage yourself, it’s time to start replacing the damaged parts of your home.
To start, you’ll need to repair the water leak if it results from your plumbing. Contact a plumber to investigate the problem and have them fix it.
From there, you’ll need to look at your flooring. If the damage is bad enough, you may need new floors. This is especially true for carpet if it remains wet for too long.
From there, your next set of items to replace will be furniture. Furniture can be hard to repair when it suffers from water damage, so look for replacement options for your home.
You’re Ready to Deal With a House Flood
It’s not easy to deal with a house flood. You’re on a timeline to get things cleaned, prevent mold growth, and get an insurance payout to cover all your expenses. If you want to do things right, you’ll need to learn how to best deal with a flooded home.
Luckily, there are a set of steps you can take to deal with flooded homes successfully. Remember the guide above if it happens to you to get things clean and repair any damage.
Are you interested in more advice that will help you deal with other home problems? Read more advice on the blog.
