Key Steps to Take If Your Home Gets Flooded
There’s never a convenient time for flooding issues to occur in our homes. When it happens, it creates both emotional and mental stress trying to assess the damage, getting the the process of water damage repair on the way and trying to go about your day as normal.
If you’ve been affected by water damage of any kind, this article will help guide on what next steps to take. Let’s get started!
Key steps to take if your home gets flooded
There’s never a convenient time for flooding issues to occur in our homes. When it happens, it creates both emotional and mental stress trying to assess the damage, getting the restoration on the way and trying to go about your day as normal.
If you’ve been affected by water damage of any kind, this article will help guide on what next steps to take. Let’s get started!
- Clean water
Clean water hasn’t passed through or been contaminated with anything, and is usually straight from the water input in your home. For example, water flooding from a toilet reserve tank or from a broken pipe leading to your shower from your water tank is considered clean water and won’t carry any harmful contaminants. - Gray water
Gray water means “used” water, or processed water that should be exiting your home into the public sewage system immediately. However, any kind of blockage or breaks in your outgoing plumbing pipes could interrupt its outflow and cause water damage that should be treated with extra care. - Black water
Black water is considered hazardous and like gray water should immediately be exiting your home. Black water mostly contains sewage or human waste of any kind, and is not only damaging to carpets, upholstery, mattresses or other fabric objects, but it is also a hazard to your health and can potentially transmit viruses like HIV.
Sources of Flooding
To help you determine what type of flooding you’re up against in your home, it’s important to know the source and why flooding happens:
- Window wells
If you live in an apartment below the surface or have a basement, sometimes rain flooding can occur in window wells that aren’t protected or don’t have a good drainage system in place.
- Plumbing issues
Flooding can also occur due to piping systems in your home that are either old and are breaking down, or have been installed/repaired incorrectly. If it is cold weather a pipe can burst from frozen water in the piles. If this happens, not only will you need to hire a professional restoration cleaner, but you’ll need to work with a water damage water repair specialist such as Always Green Carpet Cleaner of Manhattan to make repairs as well.
- Roof leakage
Rain flooding can also occur from the top down of a home, usually occurring due to cracks or rotting in your roofs decking, or from eaves not being sealed completely. Rain water can then collect in your attic and walls, eventually leaking into your home and affecting all areas and items.
Necessary Steps to Take
Never enter a home that has more than 1 inch of floodwater without making sure the power to your home is shut off, and always wear closed tip shoes. If a live power cord has been exposed to the water, you can get shocked and the results would be fatal. You should also immediately take the following steps:
- Try to keep the mess contained
Pin point where the leak is coming from. If it’s coming from a sink, toilet or washer machine, you can shut off the incoming water directly from that area. If it’s a broken pipe, you’ll need to shut the main water line off (this is usually located near you water tank in the crawl space, basement or water heater closet). - Take photos and video
The last thing you probably want to be thinking about is documenting the damage, but this is important to do as early in the process as possible so that filing claims with your insurance company goes more smoothly.
Take photos or videos of items in your home that have been affected by the flooding, such as furniture, electronics, upholstery furniture, couches or mattresses. Fabric based furniture is much more susceptible to damage than solid furniture, so documenting those will be critical if you want to try having your insurance replace them. - Schedule a professional assessment
Have a professional restoration company come out to assess the flooding for you. Not everything will necessarily need to be replaced, and if the water hasn’t been standing, there’s a possibility all you’ll need is a detailed extraction and mold treatment. This includes removing water from your carpets, upholstery furniture and hard surface flooring, airing out your home by opening windows and running fans to help push moisture outside, and ensuring surfaces are treated to prevent mold.
If any areas were affected by gray or black water, you will need to have those replaced, including any kind of electronics, appliances, furniture and carpet.
Scheduling an Emergency Call
If you’re encountering any kind of flooding in the Brooklyn area, give us a call. We are available 24/7 at (347) 344-5807 and can help get your flooding under control and your life back to normal again!
