How to Handle Flooding in Your Home
Having to deal with flooding in your home is one of the worst things to experience as a homeowner, since it often tends to devastate your life in many ways—financially, emotionally, and by destroying your home’s structure and posing health risks. Unfortunately, flooding not only causes primary damage by compromising the integrity of your home and destroying your things, but it also breeds mold and mildew, which can cause even more damage to your home. Here are a few ways you can handle a house flood and mitigate as much damage as possible.
Safety First During Flooding
After flooding in your home, the first thing to keep in mind is safety, since entering your home directly after a flood can compromise its structure further and pose many threats to you. For example, if the power in your home comes back on while you are standing in a foot of water, you can be electrocuted. That is why it is a good idea to shut off the utilities to your home until you get rid of the excess water. You should also wear protective clothing when you enter your home after a flood, such as long sleeves, pants, waterproof boots, and heavy-duty gloves. If there are any indications of mold or mildew, you should wear protective eyewear and a filtration mask.
Cleaning up After Flooding
After taking the proper safety precautions to protect both yourself and your home, it is necessary to begin the process of cleaning up after the flooding. Depending on the extent of the water damage, it may be necessary to contact a professional, since he or she has industrial equipment that can mitigate secondary damage to your home by getting rid of excess water quickly. This involves water extraction, drying all residual moisture, repairing items and structures that have sustained damage, and returning your home to its former state.
When it comes to handling flooding in your home, the two most important things to focus on are following a few safety steps when you re-enter your home after a flood and knowing some information about the cleanup process. Remember that secondary water damage can be even more dangerous than the initial damage after a flood, so it is best to address flood damage as quickly as possible.