If you’ve never experienced water damage in your home, consider yourself lucky. Statistics say that there’s a high chance that you or someone you know will eventually experience some type of water damage at home. From leaking pipes to full-on floods, you should always have a plan of action in place. It’s important to consider what to do in such situations while you wait for the experts to arrive. Read on to learn the top four ways to limit the extent of water damage in the home as you wait.
Evaluate Your Safety
No matter the size, a flood or leak in your home can jeopardize your family’s safety. In any water damage case, evaluate your safety and the safety of your family before you start the restoration process. If you’ve been the unfortunate victim of a flood, check the water level to see if it reaches the electrical outlets. Small amounts of water damage can create slippery conditions. Be sure to put on protective gear before entering the house. Before you enter a flooded room or home, verify that the electricity has been turned off.
Use a Wet Vac or Mop to Pick Up What You Can
If the water damage occurred due to an overflowing sink or another clean water source, find the source of it and shut it off. Then, use a mop, towels, rags, and whatever absorbent materials you can find to soak up the water from the floor. However, if the leak contains sewage or other toxic waste, leave the entire cleanup process to the professionals.
Sometimes, a small wet vac can be handy for soaking up water. However, you should never use a wet vac (or any other electrical appliance) if standing water is left in the home, as this can be an electrical hazard.
Remove Wet Materials and Fabrics
If your home flooded, fabric materials like rugs, coats, and drapes probably got wet really fast. Ensure your fabrics don’t get stained or cause mold to grow by removing them. If you have a yard or patio, lay all the wet fabric material in the house out to dry.
Air Out the Area
Finally, once you’ve moved out all the materials and items you need to keep safe, open the windows and doors to air out the area. You can use household fans for this, but keep in mind that high velocity, industrial-sized fans are ideal for this task.
And perhaps most importantly, remain calm while taking the steps above and waiting for help to arrive. While water damage might feel devastating at first, working quickly and efficiently will improve the final outcome drastically. For expert professional help with decades of experience in the South Florida area, call J&R Restoration for your water damage needs.
