DIY Water Damage Cleaning
by
Filed under Water Damage Cleanup
Water damage cleaning after a flood can be a frustrating experience. Water is capable of doing a lot of damage within a short period of time making it necessary to quickly start cleaning once it is safe. It also needs to be done quickly to avoid health concerns like poor air quality with mold growth. You also need to remember that flood water will be contaminated with sewage water which is a fertile breeding place for disease carrying insects and termites. Choosing to delay action on repairing water damage can cause your property value to decrease.
diy water damage cleaning
You need not always call a professional for repairing water damage in your home. You can undertake water damage cleaning yourself by following a few basic steps. We’ve outlined some of those below:
- The first and foremost thing you need to do is turn off the electricity in order to avoid possible electrocution. Never step on to the wet floor without turning off the circuit brakes.
- Try to assess the level of damage to your house. You need to see how extensive the water damage is and which areas of the house have been affected severely in order to determine what type of water restoration equipment you will need.
- Run a dehumidifier as soon as possible in order to prevent mold formation and to take the moisture out of the air . Remember to empty the tank. You can also use high velocity fans or blowers to dry out the air and also carpets and drywall.
- Open the windows and let fresh air come in.
- Invest in high quality water restoration equipment. Tools like a water extraction pump or vacuum to fix the damage to the upholstery and carpeting. Alternately you can decide to discard carpets, drapes, upholstered furniture if you cannot entirely dry them out.
- If you detect drywall damage, you need to inspect the drywall for any instances. You can generally dry it with a fan as long as there isn’t any swelling. If there is any swelling, you may have to replace the damaged drywall.
- Discard mattresses and pillows.
- Check the walls and insulation for damage.
- Move as many valuable things as possible to higher parts of the house.
- Contact your insurance company as soon as possible to ask them to assess your damage
- Wear protective clothing.
- Soak and wash utensils and dishes with water and bleach.
Every minute is valuable during water damage clean up and the steps taken will depend on the severity of the damage. You need to keep safety measures in mind before embarking on cleaning after a flood and know when it may be necessary to call a professional company to repair water damage.
