Your home flooded. Do you know how to clean up the water damage and keep mold from growing on your walls and furniture? Do you know when to call in a professional?
alpharettawaterdamageremoval.com gathered essential water damage cleanup information, DIY tips, and indicates when you should call for professional water damage restoration.
My House Flooded – Now What?
Depending on the way your house flooded and the category of water you’re dealing with, there are different ways of handling the situation:
Cut the Power – In any flood, turn off the power. Frayed wires, appliances, and anything with an electrical current can cause severe injury and death by electrocution. (All categories)
Pipe Burst – Whether it’s a trickle or a gusher, shut the water off to the house to minimize potential damages. (Category 1)
Overflowing Tub or Sink – Get to the faucet and shut it off as quickly as possible. (Category 1 or 2)
Overflowing Toilet – Don’t flush the toilet again until the reason for the overflow is resolved. Avoid any contact with this water, as it may contain harmful pathogens. Use protective clothing, gloves, and eyewear. (Category 3)
Appliance Failure – Turn off the power and shut off the water (in that order) as quickly as possible. (Category 1 or 2)
Rising Flood Water – This water likely carries harmful pathogens and should be avoided at all costs. As the water rises toward your home, shut off the power, and evacuate to a safe location. (Category 3)
Storm Damage – If your home sustains damage during a storm and is allowing water to enter the house, shut off the power and the water main. If you are unable to provide a temporary solution until the storm passes, you may need to evacuate until it is safe to return to the home. (Category 1)
The categories of floodwater:
Category 1 – Includes water from pipe bursts, overflowing sink or tub without soap or cleaning products, appliances that do not use detergents, and rainwater.
• Use household cleaning equipment to sop up and remove excess water
• Use fans and ventilate the home to dry out affected areas
• Sanitize affected areas with bleach or an anti-mold product
• In cases of excess flooding (soaked furniture and walls) call a professional water damage removal company
Category 2 – Includes water from overflowing sink or tub with soap or cleaning products, and appliances that use detergents.
• Use protective clothing, gloves, and eyewear to avoid excess exposure to this water
• Use household cleaning equipment to sop up and remove excess water
• Use fans and ventilate the home to dry out affected areas
• Sanitize affected areas and equipment with bleach or an anti-mold product
• It is highly recommended to seek the help of a water damage removal company in cases where carpet, furniture, and walls are affected by the flooding.
Category 3 – Includes water from overflowing toilets, sewage backups, rising floodwaters, and standing (stagnant) water.
• It is recommended – in all cases involving category 3 water – to contract a water damage removal company to remove the water and restore your property to pre-flood conditions.
Protect your property by shutting off the power and water source (if possible). Any contact with category 3 water is considered high risk for harmful bacteria or disease-causing pathogens.
DIY Water Damage Removal
When your house is flooded with category 1 or category 2 flood water, here are some simple DIY water damage removal steps to follow:
1. Shut off the power to avoid being shocked or electrocuted by faulty appliances or frayed wires.
2. Move any furniture in the affected area to a well-ventilated area or room.
3. Throw out any food or beverages that may have come in contact with any category of floodwater from any source.
4. Use a wet/dry vacuum to remove as much of the water as possible. If you don’t have a wet/dry vacuum, one can be rented at a home supply store.
5. If your carpeting was affected, steam-clean it, you can rent a steam-cleaner at the same location you rented the wet/dry vacuum. If your carpeting is severely damaged or has a putrid odor after flooding, call a professional water damage removal company to dry and sanitize the carpet properly.
6. Sanitize all affected areas. After a flood, bacteria and mold are given a chance to thrive. You can find disinfectant cleaners at supermarkets and home supply stores. Read and follow the instructions provided on the container.
7. For floors, hard surfaces, and walls, a “half cup of bleach to one gallon of water” solution may be used for sanitation purposes. Do not use this solution on fabrics that may end up discolored.
8. To prevent mold and mildew growth, ventilate your home by opening windows, running fans or industrial air movers, and using dehumidifiers for a period of two to three days non-stop.
9. After any cleaning and water removal activities, carefully remove your clothing and wash it in hot water with soap and a disinfectant, and be sure to shower, thoroughly washing your hair and all body parts exposed during the cleaning process.
10. Once your home has dried out, apply an anti-mold product to all affected areas. Products that inhibit mold growth can be found in grocery stores, home supply stores, and some hardware stores.
11. Before moving any furniture back to its original location, confirm that the furniture is dry and mold-free and that the location has been thoroughly dried and sanitized.
12. Use desiccants to remove any moisture left behind in furniture fabric. Desiccants include substances that absorb moisture such as silica gel and calcium oxide (similar to the packets you see in new shoe boxes).
Do not underestimate the importance of completely drying out your home after any flood damage occurs. The moisture left behind can allow mold to grow and may lead to respiratory problems after any length of exposure.
Professional Water Damage Removal
If you find yourself with massive flooding, severely damaged furniture, or cannot distinguish the floodwater category, eliminate the risk and call a professional water damage removal company.
In such cases, contact your homeowners insurance company (if the flooding is from rising floodwaters, contact your flood insurance company) to begin the claim process.
Be sure to take pictures of all damages and affected areas. Pictures will help the insurance company to evaluate the damages better and maximize your claim.
Flooded Home and Water Damage Removal
After a flood in your home, there is much you can do to prevent furniture and structural damages. But do you know when you should call a professional? By trying to save a little money, you could be exposing yourself and loved ones to harmful bacteria and disease-causing pathogens.
In this article, you discovered how to distinguish flood water categories, pro DIY tips, and when to call a professional water damage removal company.
Even small floods can have tremendous repercussions. Your mishandling of a flood in your home can result in mold growth, furniture, and structural damages, respiratory problems, and other severe health issues.
Sources:
cdc.gov/mold/cleanup-guide.html
epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-08/documents/flood-related_cleaning_report.pdf
huduser.gov/portal/Publications/pdf/FloodCleanupGuide_NCHH.pdf
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