How to Deal with Water Damage?

by Kevin Smith Author

Water damage can be an expensive and discouraging problem, and it often means losing a lot of things that are important to you. However, there are ways of minimizing the damage to your home and belongings. The easiest way is to call a water damage restoration service in Katy, but there are also steps you can take yourself.

Stop the Damage

There are many potential causes for water damage, but often the problem is either water heater failure or a burst pipe. If either of these is the case, you should shut off you water main before you do anything else. If your home is flooded, you should also turn off your power and avoid electrical appliances unless you have proper insulation. If you have to stand in water to turn off the power, call an electrician.

Initial Cleanup

The two most important things you can do next are to retrieve any valuable items before they get lost or damaged beyond repair and to photograph and document all the damage for your insurance company. Try not to spend too much time rescuing items while the damage is still spreading; stopping the damage needs to be your first priority. Part of this includes getting rid of the standing water, which will do more damage the longer it’s there. You can use a wet-dry shop vacuum to remove small amounts of water. If you are pumping it out, though, wear proper protective gear, place the pump at the lowest point in the flooded area, and keep away all children and pets.

Further Cleanup

You will probably have a lot of debris to deal with. As you’re cleaning it up, watch out for nails, other debris, and even small animals that may have sought shelter in your home. Also, keep in mind that the mud from floods can contain toxins, so shovel out as much as possible, spray down the area with clean water, and get it out of your ducts. You will also need to get rid of any mold and mildew that has built up as a result of the water. Usually, it’s best to call a professional water damage restoration service in Katy to handle that and other hazardous substances. You should also dry out the area by opening the windows if it’s less humid outside, using fans as long as mold hasn’t started to grow, removing wet items from the area, and discarding whatever isn’t salvageable.