Your house is prone to a lot of types of damages; one of the most devastating types of damages can be dealt by water. Water damage is very common and can occur even when your home is not located near any water body.
Some of the major reasons by which your house might get affected by water are heavy rain, appliance malfunction, plumbing accidents, sewer back-up, and many more. Even though the damage can be devastating, it is possible to reduce the extent of damage that water can do. The key is to act fast and act correctly.
There are a lot of things to keep in mind when dealing with damages related to water. One of the major concerns with flooding is that water conducts electricity and it can pose a major health concern for people who attempt to venture into water without proper equipment or knowledge.
Therefore, it is necessary to perform certain precautionary measures before attempting to clear the water or notifying the concerned professional water damage restoration companies such as ERSI. The steps that are required before calling a professional company to come and manage the damage are basic and can be performed with certain knowledge of your house design and electricity network.
The following steps are the immediate line of action while dealing with water damage.
- Intimating your insurance company: notifying your insurance company should be the first step while dealing with any kind of damage to your house. The restoration process after water damage can be heavy on the wallet and it is of utmost importance to use your insurance to assess and determine the costs of restoration before settling it with your professional damage restoration company.
- Make sure not to enter the flooded water: Houses are lined with high voltage electric wirings, and coming in contact with them without proper knowledge and protection can be life-threatening. In case there is flood damage to your house, make sure not to enter the flooding water, as some loose wirings might conduct the electricity to water and shock you.
- Because of the threat due to electricity, make sure to switch off the power to your house before attempting to retrieve any valuables from your house. Only switching off power to your house is not enough, you should also wear rubber gloves and boots which act as an electrical shield between you and the conducting water. Water sometimes stores static current and might still shock you even after switching off the power. Hence, it is strongly advised not to enter flooded areas without professional guidance.
- It is better to identify the water source and try to prevent it from causing further damage to your house. For example, if a burst pipe is a reason for the flooding, find the valve that connects to that pipe and turn it off to prevent more water from bursting out the pipe.
- Call professional services that specialize in dealing with water damage restoration services. They will drain your house, try and retrieve any important documents, items, and appliances, also make sure that the house is safe to enter.
- After the professionals are done with the restoration process, it is better to still look for moist areas for mold and fungus. Also, disinfect your house and let it dry for a long time. It is advised to at least let it dry for at least 24- 48 hours before coming back to live in the house.
If you are looking for a professional company to restore damages, Emergency Response Services, Inc. (ERSI) can be one of the best options to go for. It offers full-service restoration for floods, fire, water, storm damage recovery along with mold remediation. With their extensive experience, they promise to restore your property and contents to their pre-loss condition very quickly.
