If your home experiences a flood, figuring out the next steps to take is often overwhelming. After all, the flood was probably unexpected. Your furniture is destroyed. The carpet is wet. And your beloved home was wrecked before your eyes. What becomes your first priority? While there are some things you can do to protect your home from a flood, knowing who to call for flood repair services after it happens is equally important.
Here’s what you should do after your home experiences a flood:
Assess the Situation
Before you can do anything, you first have to assess the situation. Are you able to access your basement? And if you are, is it safe enough to turn off the home’s electricity?
By assessing the situation first and if it’s safe, it’ll make it easier to decide whether or not you should call an electrician for help.
Shut the Power Off
As briefly mentioned, if it’s safe for you to shut off power to your home, then you should. The sooner you can do this, the better, so there is no risk of electrocution when you, your family, or a technician from a flood repair service enters. If you do, wear proper protective gear, including rubber boots and rubber gloves.
Of course, if it isn’t safe or you don’t feel comfortable doing this, call an electrician for help.
Remove the Water
Once the home is safe, the next step is to remove the water. In the event of a flood, you’re going to have a lot of water to remove. Use buckets to scoop up water and take it outside.
This is generally a large project, so during this stage that it’s recommended you request help from flood repair services. They will have the equipment necessary to remove water safely and quickly, so you can move on to the next phase of the process.
Remove Damaged Items
If you did happen to remove the water yourself, or you called for help, the next step is to remove water-logged items. These items could vary.
Once removed from the house, bag them up because they likely cannot be salvaged. Flood damage is usually contaminated with trash, harmful toxins, human and animal waste, and other chemicals. On top of this, your couch, carpeting, and artwork may have already developed mold.
Clean and Dry the Area
The final steps include disinfecting the entire area and then drying it out. The easiest way to dry out a room that’s been affected by a flood is to let fresh air come in, so there’s a sufficient cross breeze. You should also plug in a dehumidifier to pull excess moisture from the air before it can lead to mold.
Did Your Home Suffer a Flood? Professional Flood Repair Services Can Help!
The aftermath of a flood is overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Let the flood repair services from California Steam Clean help. Call us today at (707) 236-8798 to set up an appointment.
