If you are reading this article, you may have noticed traces of water damage inside your house, and you’re now trying to figure out what to do next.
Even though the damage caused by water can be costly and painful to deal with, don’t lose your cool. However, you can’t just wave a magic wand for quick solutions. Fret not.
This guide will provide the best solutions for fixing water damage in your home.
Water Damage Is Real Pain: What Are Frequent Causes
Before you experience the effects of water damage, it’s easy to think that water damage is only caused by extensive natural calamities, such as cyclones, destructive ocean waves, and torrential rains. However, it can also be a result of leakages inside your home. It might be from a worn-out pipe, jammed troughs, moisture from your air conditioner, leaking water supply from the washing machine, or a broken sprinkler system.
Signs of water damage aren’t something you should delay in deciding how to address them. This is because it can destroy your home at a rate of knots. In a few hours, you might be looking at wrecked furniture, deforming floors (especially wooden ones), or even face significant fungus and mold problems. When you learn more about its adverse effects on your property, you will realize that it shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Three Common Categories of Water Damage
Clean water -This is mainly a result of moisture, rainwater flowing or leaking slowly into your house through an opening, leaking pipes, or a random pipe rupture. This type of damage is easy to clean and harmless.
Gray water-The name ‘gray’ signifies a color change. So, this type of water is a bit greasy and contaminated. Common sources are washing machines, lavatories, dishwashers, and the like.
Black water- This is a dangerous type; black water might be contaminated with toxic materials, chemicals, and harmful bacteria. Black water can originate from flooded sewers, rivers, and the like. Don’t try to clean this water by yourself.
How to Deal With Water Damage
As soon as you see signs of damage, you have to work fast to stop it from getting worse and even more costly. Contact your insurance company as soon as possible and notify them about the problem. And if you aren’t sure what triggered the flooding, you might have to seek the services of pros to help you assess the situation.
Are You Considering Expert Water Damage Contractors?
If a large section of your home is affected, it may be best to leave it to trained professionals. Aside from the convenience, water damage experts can mitigate the effects and ensure that the correct damage response will be implemented.
Keep in mind that not all companies provide the best quality of service. Thus, before you sign any contract, research by thoroughly checking their website and reading customer reviews. It should give you an idea if they are worth your money.
Here’s what to expect when you work with water damage contractors:
Examining and evaluating the damage– Your chosen contractor will assess the damage and establish the volume and cause. The source and category of water damage will help them determine what type of apparatus and tools they will need and how to fix the damage safely and appropriately.
Water removal-The repair specialists use vacuums and powerful pumps to remove stagnant water faster. Remember, time is of the essence; the faster it’s done, the less damage to your home, and what’s more, molds and fungus won’t have a breeding ground.
Drying the area– Molds and mildew can create dangerous air hazards; therefore, all affected areas should be completely dry. Professionals use powerful dehumidifiers and air movers to dry the damaged areas faster. These tools can quickly go into or through hard-to-reach areas and draw out surplus water from water-logged structures. Additionally, professionals use moisture meters to identify further if an area is dry.
Sanitization and disinfection– Sanitization and disinfection must be done to ensure the affected areas are safe afterward. This will ensure that hazardous bacteria, fungus, or molds will not breed, and the rooms will not develop an unpleasant smell.
Repair and renovation-Finally, many water damage professionals can also undertake any reconstruction that might be needed to restore your home to its previous condition. For instance, if your carpets, drywalls, and wooden elements were damaged by water, these specialists can carefully remove the affected areas and replace them.
Do-It-Yourself Water Damage Repair
If you decide on DIY clean-up, ensure you have long pants, a shirt with long sleeves, good boots, safety glasses, containers, mops, and gloves. Identifying the source of the leak will also give you an idea of how to prepare yourself for the task best.
Here are some tips for easy cleaning:
Wipe Off Stagnant Water– Once you’ve appropriately dressed, start mopping up the water with cloths and mops, and squeeze the water into containers. Clean or gray water can be emptied onto your kitchen garden, or you can pour the water down the drains.
Dry the affected areas– If you have fans within the house, you’re good to go. You can put them in different positions. Fans will help circulate air within the room, speeding up the drying process. If they are not available, you can open all the windows.
Sanitize and disinfect– As soon as the affected area is dry, sanitize and disinfect the area from the walls to fittings, pieces of equipment, and personal stuff using a bleach solution or any disinfectants.
Final Thoughts
Fixing water damage is a tough and challenging task. However, it will save you from irreparable damage and severe health complications. If you can’t fix the problem yourself, you can always rely on the professionals to do it. The whole process will need a lot of your time and resources. It’s vital to find the right insurance firm in advance so that they can help you weather the storm. This guide will help make the process smooth, convenient, and safe.
