What should i do immediately after water damage?

Water in the home can cause some of the most serious harm possible. Start repairs as soon as possible to prevent mold and structural damage in the house. You should contact a water damage restoration company, such as COIT Cleaning and Restoration, to help you clean and repair your home properly. Professional companies have the necessary experience to solve the problem of water damage and search for mold and other dangerous problems.

When you're facing serious water damage in multiple rooms, you need an action plan. You need to know what to do first and how to minimize your losses. If you're suddenly faced with water damage in your home, knowing what to do makes a big difference. Follow these 10 steps to get your home and belongings back as quickly as possible.

Mitigating mold is a critical part of restoring water damage to the home. Treat all affected surfaces with an antimicrobial product formulated to kill mold. You can use a bleach and water solution on most non-porous materials, but antifungal products are a safer option. There are situations that make restoring water damage to a home a very important task.

For example, structural material exposed to water for more than 24 hours must be torn off and replaced. The growth of mold that hides deep in walls requires specialized mitigation techniques. If a flood damages a home, it's not safe to enter the property until the power goes out, which may require the presence of an electrician. Once the entrance is secure, protect property and valuables by moving them out of damp areas.

In addition, remove carpets and other objects from the wet floor. The owner may want to document the value of the items and take pictures of the damaged property for insurance purposes. Turn off the switch box, but only if the box is located in a dry part of the house. Do not access the switch box if it is near water damage to avoid electric shock.

If it's wet or near water, call the utility company and ask them to turn it off for their part. If that's not possible, ask them to send someone. Your gutters protect your home from water damage by removing rainwater from the roof and moving it away from the foundation of the house. Contact your insurance company as soon as possible and be honest about the magnitude of the water damage and the original cause.

Remember that mold appears within 24 hours of water damage, and spores easily spread to parts of your home that aren't affected by water. To minimize the spread of mold and the risk of serious structural damage, contact a water damage restoration professional within 24 to 48 hours. If you've only suffered a small leak under the sink, for example, it's quite easy to remove all objects affected by the water to assess if they're recoverable. When water leaks in a home, there are steps to be taken immediately to minimize damage to the house and the contents.

If the professional finds any damage to your roof, make sure they repair it immediately to protect it against indoor water damage. This is the definitive water damage checklist to help you care for the integrity of your home in the short and long term. To minimize water damage caused by a major leak or flood in your home, the restoration process should ideally begin within 24 hours. If you leave water damage for too long, your insurance may not cover it, and the cost of water damage to your home could be high.

Hardwood floors, for example, are damaged when any accumulated water is allowed to sit for about a day, causing boards to bend and other repair problems. The magnitude of the problem is often more important than it seems, as water damage is hidden behind walls and under floorboards. First, there is the damage caused by water itself, which damages building materials, appliances, accessories and furniture when they settle and accumulate, and electronic devices are especially susceptible to damage. Water damage can result from appliance or pipe leaks, broken pipes, roof damage, damp bathrooms and basements, and floods.

Once you've established that it's safe to re-enter the house, the faster the cleaning and restoration of water damage is carried out, the better. Damage caused by untreated water can also ruin electrical systems, corrode pipes, destroy ceilings and walls, and cause mold to grow. .