A Flood, or a leak, can occur to anybody, and the consequences are rather disastrous. It can also become uninhabitable within a few moments, the place where you live or work, and you could even lose life-saving things. Keeping calm can save your life and also reduce the damage. This article will explore important steps that will save your property, as well as your health.
1. Make Sure Everyone Is Safe
The safety of all people should always be the priority once you have flooded or leaked something. Check relatives, friends, and pets, and never hesitate to seek assistance in case one of the individuals is injured. Turn-off natural gas and electricity, and places with live sockets and gas leakages. Move somewhere safer in order to prevent being hit by falling objects or collapsing ceilings. Children and the aged should be monitored in a secure area of your house. Should the situation be threatening, you will have to contact the emergency authority for medical assistance or rescue immediately.
2. Stop the Water and Prevent More Damage
Once you are sure people are alright, the second job you should do is to prevent the leak or flooding to prevent harming the damage as much as possible. The source of the water be it a bursting pipe or a flood must be found urgently. Turn off the supply of water, in case it is safe, and avoid additional leakages. Where possible, use tarps or buckets to retain the seepage in the meantime. Keep standing water away from your valuable objects by moving them to dry areas.
3. Protect Important Belongings
Do not postpone saving your valuable and important items after a flooding or a leak. The initial measure is to take them to a dry place, especially those that have some sentimental attachment or electronics. Other vital documents like identification, property papers, and insurance policies should also be saved by drying or putting them in zip-lock bags. They can also be helpful to capture photos of the damaged things so as to reclaim them in the future. You can also make a list of all the stuff that became wet or broken and this will facilitate making insurance claim.
4. Start Basic Cleaning and Drying
Cleaning and drying out is the next job to do as soon as you are done with making personal protection and preventing further damage. Clean up the standing water as soon as possible with either a mop or wet vacuum. Make sure that windows and doors are open in order to help in cross-ventilation and it is meant to hasten the quickening of drying. Fans and dehumidifiers can as well be used to draw in moisture of the air and dry the sides. Clean dry surfaces with wet cloth or sponge, specifically on paper or wood. Items that can be saved should be sorted out.
5. Get Professional Help When Needed
Knowing when professional help is the essential step after cleaning the house yourself. When you have over a few inches of standing water or the water is flowing, you can refer to reputable commercial restoration services since these are trained professionals with special tools like pumps and air movers that can remover the moisture in a safe and effective way. They also know how to research on the threat of mold and bacteria and deal with it. Professionals are never short on the right tools, expertise, and technical assistance to do the right thing in restoring your property.
6. Prevent Future Floods or Leaks
The final action is to ensure preventive actions are made to prevent its recurrence. Regularly check your plumbing and drainage system to enable you to be early in identifying a problem. Install quality flood barriers and dividers in those areas with high frequency of flooding. It is smart to build drains and the actual slope so that the water will not flow toward your house. Repair holes or weak areas in your plumbing system before they develop. These measures will actually come in handy to make sure that your house is secure and you will be able to live peacefully.
Conclusion
A water incident is not only an event that results in property damage, but can also be a very stressful experience. However, prompt and correct action can help you overcome the crisis. Keep in mind that the first thing to do is to ensure that you are safe then turn off water and preserve your valuables. You need not do everything by yourself: you can get assistance of experts and local organizations. Never carry out unnecessary repairs because this will turn out to be a problem in future.