If you live in a low lying area that is prone to flooding, you must be ready to handle the calamity that can strike at any moment. Flooding of homes is one of the most devastating experiences for homeowners as it threatens their existence besides damaging the property.
Photo by form PxHere
Nowadays, as advanced technology helps in a more accurate weather forecast, the local authorities normally forewarn residents of possible floods and arrange for their evacuation to save lives. But property damage becomes inevitable, and homeowners must know how to mitigate the damage with the help of local flood restoration services in Las Vegas NV, so that they can restore the property and start living on it again.
Besides natural calamities that cause floods, water leaks or malfunctioning of the plumbing system can flood homes. Since natural calamities are beyond control, homeowners must stay more prepared to deal with them effectively; as such situations can happen several times. Once the water level becomes steady, and there are no chances of immediate recurrence, you must take some quick actions like contacting a professional damage restoration company and taking some other steps.
Call your insurance company
Whether or not your home owner’s insurance policy covers floods, fire, and other natural calamities depends on the type of policy. But if you live in a flood-prone area, it is imperative to have a suitable policy so that you have the necessary financial protection in place when disaster strikes. The physical damages are compensated through the insurance coverage that pays for the damages. As soon as you regain some composure after the initial shock, the first action that you must take is to call your insurance company. The insurance company will send an adjuster to assess the damage/ loss, which means that you must maintain the status quo with the property until the adjuster completes the job. Take plenty of photos of the affected places during the calamity as well as after clean up. List all damaged items you can think about and assign a value to each.
The photographs will help prove your point about the damage even after the adjuster makes a physical assessment of the place.
Ensure safety for you and your family
The most crucial step to take during and after the flood is to ensure safety for your family, including you. Do not panic but keep a cool head so that you can take the necessary steps to ensure safety.
Turn off the power – Since water and electricity can become a potent mix of danger, as soon as you see the early signs of water entering your building, switch off the electric mains. Be careful when accessing the main electrical switch, and ensure that you have your shoes on and stand on a dry surface. If the ground is wet or has standing water, stand on a wooden or plastic stool to ensure that your feet are above the water when you operate the switch. It will prevent any accident that can happen due to the electricity flowing into the water. If needed, call an electrician to do the job and leave home for a safe refuge. Enter the home again only after completion of the restoration services.
Wear protective gear – If you need to re-renter your home interim, wear proper protective equipment like gumboots and rubber hand gloves as well as a face mask. The face mask will protect you from mold spores that might be floating in the air because the wet environment speeds up mold growth. It will also protect you from bacteria that start increasing in the wet areas. The gumboots will protect your feet up to the knee, provided the water level is below it.
Protect your valuables– Although the carpet will get wet, you can prevent its staining from the furniture standing on it by removing the furniture from its position to insert tin plates under the legs and place it back in its position. Also, clear the floor of rugs and any other materials that you can remove to some dry area.
If the flooding is heavy, you may have to leave home for some safe place but soon arrange to repair the damage once the flood water stagnates and there are no chances of flooding anytime soon.
Start the process of water damage restoration
After ensuring the safety of your family and the affected home, call a water damage restoration company and assign them the task of restoring the damaged property to the condition before the floods. The restoration process should include all building and property related tasks and recover the affected materials like all household belongings as much as possible. Water damage restoration services are all-encompassing and go beyond building restoration, including redoing drywalls and floors and drying the property. In addition, the restoration services should create a healthy, safe and comfortable living space that looks aesthetically pleasing and functions well.
Water mitigation is part of the process
When talking about water damage restoration services, you will hear about water mitigation and wonder what it is. In simple words, it means creating a condition that helps to prevent further damage by maintaining the water level at a certain height while eliminating the possibility of a fresh inflow of water. In addition, it will help to assess the situation correctly and plan for practical restoration tasks that can quickly restore the property to its original condition as it existed before the floods.
Right resources and equipment
The outcome of the restoration process measures the time it takes to finish the work and make it habitable once again so that the residents can start living on it again. To complete the tasks speedily with professional competence, the water damage restoration company deploys trained teams of professionals who are experts in the job. They use various equipment truck mounted heavy duty pumps and extractors, air removers, and dehumidifiers to remove water and make the place dry after cleaning the debris.
On completion of the water mitigation task, the work for damage restoration begins.
Leave a Comment