Restore Your Home After Flood and Water Damage

Homeowners may experience flood and water damage in their homes following burst pipes, faulty appliances, bad sump-pump, sewer backup, heavy rains, and so on. After flooding, the air quality in your home reduces. And water damage creates a suitable environment for mold to thrive.
As a result, you may experience symptoms such as skin rashes, red eyes, cough, sneezing, runny nose, etc. Also, water damage can destroy the structural components of your house.
Some decades ago, homes were uninhabitable and counted as lost after a flood. But presently, that is no longer the case. You can restore your home to its former state if you do the right thing on time.
Your immediate concern after a flood should not be the aesthetics of the property. Instead, focus on how to make the home safe and habitable again. The following things are essential to restore and save your home:

Notify your insurance company

Once there is an incident of flooding in your home, inform your insurance company immediately. Your insurance company will send an adjuster over to your home. The adjuster will assess the property to know the type and extent of the water damage.
From this, your insurance company will ascertain if the type of flooding is in your policy. That is because some insurance policies do not cover all categories of water damage.
We recommend that you take several pictures before, during, and after the clean-up. Also, note all the items that are no longer in good shape and document their costs.

Follow safety measures

Following flooding, your home becomes dangerous and unsafe. It is necessary to take precautions. Electrocution is one of the risks you should prevent in cases of flooding. That is because water conducts electricity. Also, there may be extensive damage to the wirings and electrical appliances.

For this, you need to protect yourself from electrocution. Wear protective gear like rubber gloves and boots before you enter the house. Also, ensure that you turn off the power supply to the house. However, we recommend that you get an electrician if the control switch is in a location that requires you to enter any wet area.

Stay away from the property until your home is safe again. It may entail arranging for temporary accommodation for a while.

Hire a clean-up company

It is necessary to hire a clean-up company that can remove water from your home as soon as possible. It would be best if you do this within the first 24 to 48 hours after the flood. That is because the longer the water stays in your house, the more extensive the damage.

Also, mold grows fast; it can start growing 24 hours after water damage. Clean-up companies have the essential tools, training, and skills to help you remove water from the house. If the flooding involved sewage waste, you need to hire experts. Sewage waste clean-up needs more attention and precautions.

Hire a restoration contractor

To restore your home after a flood, you need a restoration contractor. Your contractor should have adequate experience in doing this job. Check to ensure that the contractor you chose has records on restoring houses with similar types of water damage.

Also, contact former clients or read their reviews to know the quality of work your contractor offers. Doing this is essential because your ability to restore the property depends on the contractor. Your restoration contractor has several responsibilities like:

Replacing the flooring

Your floors will no longer be good after flooding. Hardwoods, laminates, or carpets absorb water and swell up. Your contractor will replace the floors because they will never dry out completely.

Open up the walls and remove the drywall

Since most walls are made from wood and drywall, your contractor will open up the walls and remove the drywall. The walls will remain open for some weeks to dry them out completely. The contractor will remove the drywall from the floor to at least a foot above the waterline. Doing this will prevent mold growth.

Removing insulation

When your home’s insulation gets soaked, they become damaged and can never dry out. For this reason, your contractor will have to replace it.

Hire an electrician and HVAC specialist

You need to assess the electrical and HVAC systems of your home after water damage. It is essential to do this because water can damage the electrical units and HVAC system. Your specialists will check for faults and repair them where necessary.

Conduct mold remediation

Since mold can spring up after the first 24 hours following water damage, you should expect the presence of mold. For this reason, we recommend that you invite experts to test for mold and conduct mold remediation on the property.

Restoring your home after water damage is now possible, thanks to the advancement in technology. Before you return to your home, perform an air test inside the house. If the indoor air quality matches with the outdoor, then your home is safe.