How to Deal With Water Damage in Your Home
It is a devastating feeling when your home floods. You are faced not only with having to clean up the mess, but seeing all of the belongings in your home ruined. The clean-up is just as devastating and you must deal with throwing away things that have meaning to you and your family. Though your focus is primarily on the devastation of the flood, it is important to do your best to prevent further problems from happening. The last thing you need at a time like this is to make things worse than they already are. The first thing you should do if you experience flooding in your home is call in a professional team to help. Water damage Los Angeles or water damage Irvine CA is much easier to deal with if you have guidance from an experienced professional, helping you through the situation. This helps prevent further damage and gives you access to the tips and tricks the pros use to clean up flooding.
The materials in your home that were exposed to the flood might have to be discarded. This is especially true for fabrics such as carpet and upholstery. Though it is possible to dry out some items, your situation will depend on the type of flood. For instance, sewer flooding is an instant death sentence for everything it touches, whereas a busted pipe exposes materials to less danger. When materials get wet, though, you run the risk of mildew and if not completely dry, the materials will stink and eventually rot. In the case of carpet, it is likely the floor boards and padding beneath the carpet were damaged and will need replacing. You will be safer tearing up the old carpet and replacing it.
As you begin to clean up the flooded area, make sure it is well-ventilated. If you are working with professional, they will likely bring high-powered fans into the space to help with drying. If you are handling the clean-up yourself, you will want to keep windows open and let air circulate through the space. Fans and dehumidifiers are both helpful when it comes to drying out a flooded area.
The sooner you begin replacing the items that were affected, the better. The longer you let things sit, the more trouble you are going to have in the long run. As a matter of fact, insurance companies require homeowners to clean up to the best of their ability without creating a dangerous situation. When wet items are left to sit in a flooded area, it can create a lot more damage than the initial flood accomplished.
One of the main concerns those living in a flooded home must consider is mold. If you have an existing mold problem, the dampness from the flood is going to make it worse. If you have been putting off treating the mold problem, you can no longer postpone things now that your home has flooded. If there is not currently a problem, you will need to keep a close eye on one developing. When materials in your home get wet and cannot be removed, you run the risk of mold growth. Keep an eye on walls and floors to make sure nothing is growing in the weeks and months following a flood.
Author Bio: Stewart Wrighter has recently worked closely with a water damage Los Angeles firm for help with a problem that occurred during a heavy rain last summer. He hired a water damage Irvine CA firm to clean-up his basement after a recent flood.
Category: Home Management
Keywords: Water damage Los Angeles,Water damage Irvine CA