3 Things To Do When You Are Dealing With Water Damage To Your House
Posted on: 23 July 2018
If you have had a pipe break in your ceiling and ended up with rain in your front room, then you probably got so frustrated that you wanted to scream at one point. However, that's not going to help with the cleanup and restoration, even if it may make you feel better in the moment. After you scream in pure frustration, it's going to be time for you to figure out what you need to do in order to handle the mess and get everything back in order.
Turn Off the Water
The first thing you need to do is to turn the water off. It's better to go outside your house and turn it off at the main shutoff, especially if you don't know where the water is coming from. That way you don't have to worry about more water coming in from unknown places while you are trying to clean everything up. The water won't stop pouring out of your ceiling immediately, since the pipe will have to drain and there is still going to be water in the ceiling, but it will stop getting new water, which will stop the problem.
Kill the Electricity
Just as you shut off the water, you want to make sure that you turn off the electricity. The reason that you want to do this is because water and electricity don't mix. If the water gets into the outlets, it can cause shorts in the system and bigger problems. Turn the circuit breakers to at least the affected room or rooms. If you need to use electricity, you can use it in adjoining rooms.
Wet/Dry Vac
Once you have turned off the water and the power, you can start cleaning the mess. One thing you can do is to use a wet/dry vac. These vacuums will suck up the water and then you can take it out and dump it out. If you have a lot of water standing, this will be the easiest way to make sure that you get rid of that water so that a mop or towels can get up the rest of the water. Because these vacuums are electrical in nature, make sure that you are very careful. Keep the cord up and out of the water and that the cord isn't frayed.
If there is a lot of damage or it is just more than you think you can or want to handle, there are water damage restoration companies who will come out and do the cleanup and restoration for you. That will let you deal with things like your homeowners' insurance or other issues, like where you are going to stay while the cleanup is going on.
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