As a homeowner, few things are quite as intimidating as the possibility of a flood. Regardless of cause (whether it’s a flood from heavy rain, burst pipe, or sewage backup), recovering from a flooded home can be devastating.
Unfortunately, a flooded home is something that is difficult to predict and nearly impossible to prevent. Your best option is to be prepared to act quickly should one occur. The first 24 hours after a flood are crucial as you work to repair your home and prevent molding and further damage.
1. BE SAFE
First and foremost, you must address the safety of your home. If heavy rains or some other kind of natural disaster have caused you to evacuate your home, you might need to be given the go-ahead from a local government agency before returning.
Returning to a flooded home can be dangerous for many reasons. Structural compromise from water damage, contaminated water from household chemicals or sewage, and electrical dangers can all be present. This makes it necessary to wear protective clothing, gloves, and footwear, and ensure that the electrical and water services to your home are cut off before entering.
2. LOCATE AND STOP THE SOURCE OF THE FLOODING
As mentioned above, there are a variety of occurrences that can cause a home to flood. Heavy rains and other natural disasters immediately come to mind, but things like a broken sump-pump or burst pipe can also do heavy damage. If the water is not stopped by cutting off your water services, it’s time to locate and stop the problem before it does more damage.
3. DOCUMENT
There is much that needs to be tended to after a flood, but before any of that happens, it’s important to document the damage done to your property as quickly as possible. Take digital photos and video footage of the flood source, the flooding of the house, and the damage done by the water. This is extremely helpful when dealing with your insurance company. In fact, working on the damage or cleaning up before documenting can hurt your chances of getting fully compensated.
4. REPAIR THE SOURCE OF THE FLOODING
If an equipment malfunction is to blame, it’s time to repair it. Whether you fix the problem yourself or call a plumber, it’s crucial to do it quickly to prevent further damage.
5. TALK TO YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY
Once the water is controlled and the cause of flooding is determined, it’s time to call your insurance company. Because some companies only cover certain flood causes, only your insurance agent will know for sure what kind of coverage you’ll get. This is the time to have your photo and video documentation (as well as any other necessary homeowners documents) at the ready.
6. MOLD REMEDIATION
While your thoughts are swimming with insurance claims and home repair, it’s easy to forget about something as tiny as mold spores. Unfortunately mold can form and spread quickly within 24-48 hours of a flooding. This makes it extremely important to have the moisture taken care of and any mold dealt with professionally. We offer 24 hour emergency water damage restoration services here at Carpet Tech, and can have one of our experienced team members to your property within 30 minutes to assess your mold damage.
7. CLEAN UP AND REPAIR
This portion of the flood process can take a long time and can be quite frustrating. Windows might need repaired, surfaces will need to be cleaned, and broken or contaminated items discarded. Most likely of all, you’ll need to repair the damage done to your floors. Our contractors at Carpet Tech are appropriately trained and certified by the IICRC and can provide the techniques and knowledge that are essential to ensure the quickest and most thorough drying and repair of your flooring, carpet, drywall and exterior structure.
