If water damage occurs to your home, thoroughly cleaning and restoring it will be essential steps that must be completed as soon as you are able. However, you may be unsure as to the steps that you should be taken immediately after your home experiences significant water damage.

Assess Whether The Area Is Safe

Individuals will often drastically underestimate the hazards that can come with extensive water damage. For example, the water that spilled into the home may have come from the septic line, which can lead to the interior of the home being filled with hazardous waste. In this situation, you will need to vacate the home and contact a professional water damage restoration service to safely sanitize the interior and restore the damage that occurred. In situations where the water seems harmless, there can still be a risk of electrical shock due to the flooding potentially reaching electrical components. For this reason, the power supply should be turned off before you venture into the water-damaged area of the home.

Removing Standing Water As Quickly As Possible

Standing water that is in the damaged area of the home should be removed as quickly as possible. This can limit the amount of it that can absorb into the home while also reducing the risk of excessive weight damaging important structural supports. When there is only a small amount of standing water, a wet vac may be sufficient. However, if there is a lot of standing water, a stronger pump may be needed to remove this water from the area. Regardless of the tool that you use to remove the water, you will want to deposit it as far from the home as possible to minimize the risk of it seeping back into the structure.

Determine Whether Water Damage Restoration Services Are Needed

Depending on the extent of the water damage that has occurred to the home, you will want to determine whether professional water damage restoration services are needed. In situations where the area that suffered damage was primarily made of concrete or waterproof tile, it may be possible to complete the cleanup on your own. However, if drywall, carpeting, or hardwood has suffered damage from the water, a professional restoration service can be a far more effective solution. These professionals can have moisture extraction tools that may be able to save your carpet or drywall from needing to be replaced, which can dramatically reduce the costs of restoring your home.

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