What You Need to Know about Flood Damage
Posted on September 28, 2017
Water is a home’s biggest enemy. It can seep through the walls and ceilings of your house and wreak havoc depending on how big a leak and how long it’s gone unnoticed. In the event of something catastrophic like a flood, there are so many other things to consider. With it comes the issues that arise with a natural disaster such as no electricity and being stranded for many days with no assistance. This will help you know what you need to know about flood damage.
Don’t Assume Insurance Covers It
There is a big difference between water damage and flood damage. Insurance for flooding is a policy that needs to be bought separately as it’s usually not included on a homeowner’s policy. If you suspect there is even a remote chance of our home being flooded, you should take a good long look at your policy and find areas where your insurance falls short. A flood can destroy just about everything you have and you will need the money and resources to address it as quickly as possible.
Dry Your Home Out
It may be several days or weeks before someone can get to your house to begin to clean up. Waters have to recede and then you are dealing with a lot of people in crisis all at once. There are a few action steps you need to take on your own. The first being to focus on drying out your home. Once the excess water has cleared out, focus all of your attention on preventing further flood damage by drying spaces out. You don’t want a greater potential for mold then you are already at risk of getting.
Tear Out Carpet and Padding
Fabrics can never be saved as a result of flood damage. There are too many places for mold to harbor. Rip up the carpet and padding in your house and get it outside as soon as possible. Have a place outside designated for this and get to work pulling the saturated carpets up quickly.
Toss What You Can’t Save
This can be an emotional step. Fires and flood damage can destroy your precious memories and items and no one wants to be confronted with it. Especially after a situation where your life may have been endangered and you are dealing with the trauma of that. Cleaning up by throwing away your valuables will be hard. The unfortunate truth is that it is dangerous to keep these things after a storm and it won’t get easier the longer you wait. Get a great support system and start the process of starting over by ridding your house of all the things that can’t be saved.
Treat the Home
If you have done a large amount of cleanup and are still unable to secure help from your insurance company, go ahead and begin to sanitize your home. Post-flood damage can include unhealthy air when mold begins to grow. The presence of it is unavoidable but you can get a jump start on treating it by sanitizing your home. Using chemicals and with careful adherence to instructions, go through your home and begin to treat those areas where mold is taking root. Make sure your home is well ventilated while using chemicals and be careful of your exposure.
A flood is a devastating force of nature. There is no way to stop the rushing water from invading your house in the event of this natural disaster. The flood damage caused can be widespread and devastating. Especially challenging is the fact that assistance is a difficult thing to track down in the days following a widespread emergency. There are many steps you can take both to prepare your home and to prevent further damage in the days following a flood.