Get Everyone to Safety and Call Your Insurance
Whenever you face a flooding situation, it is best to assume that the water is contaminated, and get everyone to safety. The risks of staying in a flooded house are immeasurable, especially if the damage is severe. There is the risk of fires from electrical damage, and the possibility of building collapse, particularly if the foundation's integrity is compromised. Before you consider water removal or worry about searching for water damage restoration near me, make sure everyone is safely out of the house. Once this is done, contact your insurance company to file your claim. Then afterward, you can focus on the next step, restoration.
Clean up the Water
Your insurance adjuster may take a while to get to the site, so you can’t sit around and wait for them. Commence the water restoration process. Clean, salvage, and dry whatever items you can as fast as possible. Make sure to take photos of the damaged areas. Cleaning the house is also needed since the adjuster can better see the extent of damage when writing the insurance claim report. You can also keep the damaged items as proof just in case they will be needed as evidence. If the damage is too much to handle on your own, get in touch with an expert water mitigation company. It is essential to hire a commercial water damage restoration expert to assist where necessary.
Exercise Caution
You need to hire experts to help with the cleanup and restoration process for safety purposes. Ensure that all the electric and gas systems are switched off before you commence any cleanup or restoration process. These should be turned off at the mains if any of the switches inside the house are compromised by the floodwater. After the cleanup is complete and the restoration company has cleared everything, bring in an electrician to confirm that every system works. Only then should you be confident enough to switch lights and appliances back on.
Observe Necessary Sanitation
Dealing with flood water damage is different from other kinds of damage. You need to pay attention to things that may have been damaged or compromised by the floodwater. Most of the flooded food items will be thrown away and probably not be safe for consumption. However, some things could be salvaged and repurposed. Know how to identify these items and which ones to discard.
If you’re not sure how to proceed once your house is flooded, consider hiring experts from the Water Extraction Team. You can visit them at 1206 High St, Fairport Harbor, OH 44077-5559, or call (440) 953-0767 for more information.
