If your home is impacted by water damage, it is essential to know what to do to mitigate that damage. Water damage is severe, and it is vital to understand how to deal with it when it occurs in your home.
1. Turn Off Outlets
One of the first things you should do when you find water damage in your home is to deal with the electronics. You are going to want to unplug any electronics in the impacted area right away. If possible, you will want to turn off the electricity to the area that is impacted by the water damage. You don't know how or where the water may have gotten in, so you will want to turn off the electricity in that area until it is clear that things are safe.
2. Dry Water Out
The second thing you are going to want to do is to dry out the water. You need to work to eliminate all the moisture, which depends upon how much water is in your home. You may need to use a wet vacuum to pull the water out of the space. You are also going to want to run dehumidifiers to get rid of all the moisture. It will get rid of the moisture that you can't even see and help reduce the chance of mold growing in the water-damaged areas.
3. Get Rid of Damaged Materials
Third, you are going to want to work to get rid of damaged materials. You will want to focus on getting rid of any porous materials, which are most at-risk for developing mold and mildew and will be the hardest to dry out completely. In a home, porous material includes things such as drywall, carpet, insulation, and even unsealed cement or wood. The sooner you get rid of the damaged material, the better off your home will be.
4. Disinfect Damaged Area
Fourth, you are going to want to disinfect the area that was impacted by the water damage. This will allow you to clean up any hazards that were involved in the water. Disinfecting the area will also allow you to help contain and prevent the potential of mold impacting your home.
When it comes to taking care of your home after water damage, you will want to turn off the electrical outlets, dry out the water and moisture, get rid of the damaged porous materials, and disinfect the impacted area. You should also consider calling a water damage restoration service, like Sahara Restoration, for more information.
When you have a fire in your home, or when flood waters seep in and saturate your building materials, you of course feel overwhelmed and saddened. It's terrible to see the home you love — a home that was once comforting and caring — be destroyed by natural or unnatural disaster. But rest assured; the home can be restored. Repair and restoration professionals are capable of making some pretty substantial changes and bringing your home back to its former glory. We've seen it ourselves, and it was a very good feeling! We hope this blog raises your awareness of the work these teams can really do.