Dealing with Water Damage Like a Pro

Dealing with damage to your home is never easy, whether it’s small or big, the stress and the potential danger to your health will always be present. Water is one of the elements that might do harm to your living space, and these unfortunate occurrences can be very difficult to predict or detect because they are often not in your control. Risk Free Serv gave me some guidelines on how to best act when water damages a home, and what to do before asking for help from professionals, here’s what I learned:

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Types of Water

There are three types of water that might affect your home: clean, gray, and black. Clean water is the regular water we use every day or rainwater. It's important to note that this type of water is not directly harmful and you are safe to assess the damage yourself without risk of poisoning.

Gray water or used water comes from your washing machine, toilet, or dishwasher. This water might be contaminated and it is somewhat safe to deal with if you are careful and use protective equipment.

Blackwater is dangerous, it is usually water from a sewer or a nearby river in case of floods, and dealing with it is not recommended, no matter how experienced or confident you are, this type of water is probably contaminated and dangerous and best left to the pros to handle.

Amount of Damage

Depending on how much damage was done you can measure how much you can do on your own before calling professionals. Safety is always crucial, but if you don’t want to waste any time and try to save as much as possible here are a few steps you can take to make it easier for later restoration.

Check Electricity

The first thing you want to do is to make sure you kill electricity in your home. If not entirely, then at least you can unplug all appliances, and if possible take them outside. Using appliances in a flooded home is definitely not recommended as it might cause a fire. Ensuring that everything is unplugged from the wall sockets is critical even if the electricity is currently not available in your home.

Check for Mold

Mold is one of those unwelcome guests that thrive in moist areas. A home damaged by water is ideal for its growth. Even if the damage is small, mold can easily find its way in your walls or floors and spread its infestation.

Dry the Area

This is the first step before any restoration can start. You need to remove all water from the premises by using fans or dehumidifiers to dry the place out. Open all windows and doors to enable airflow and start the process.

Throw away Porous Materials

Materials like wood which can usually be found in your floors or ceilings can become a breeding ground for mildew and the best way to deal with that is to dispose of those materials. Wood, drywall, or unsealed cement are risky and should be removed. These materials are often included in your home’s foundation and should be addressed so you can safely proceed with the restoration.

Disinfection

This is the last step before the restoration can finally begin. When all the water and porous materials are removed and when the place is dry, it’s time to disinfect your home. You can use bleach and spray affected areas to prevent mold growth, but if the damage was too big or if the water was contaminated then your safest bet is to contact professionals who have experience and equipment to best handle these situations.