Professional guide for homeowners for restoring their property after a flood damage 

One of the most devasting things a homeowner can experience in their lifetime is flooding or severe water damage inside their home and ruining everything from your favorite sofa to Honeywell thermostats to the video games you collected over the years. So, whether you’re dealing with issues such as flooded basements, sewer backups, broken pipes, or leaking appliances, all of these can lead to significant problems. However, making matters worse is that you probably will have no time to waste when you’re dealing with flood damage. In fact, there is a high chance that mold development will start in as little as 24 hours after the flooding event. Flood damage will also lead to various structural issues and safety hazards that might go unnoticed until it’s too late.

That said, the first step to take is to solve the underlying issue, such as leaking or burst water pipes, that lead to flooding inside your home. However, if your home was flooded due to a natural disaster such as heavy rain, there is little you can do. That said, what you do after the flooding has occurred matters the most here. With that in mind, let us look at a professional guide that homeowners can follow to restore their property after flood damage. So, without further ado, this professional guide is shared below.

Call your insurance company. 

Your home insurance plan will probably cover flood damage. However, this usually depends on the type of insurance policy you’ve signed up for. Whatever the case, most insurance companies provide coverage for flood damage due to storms, burst pipes, broken sump pumps, and backed-up city sewers. Generally, the insurance company you’ve signed up with will send an adjuster to assess the flood damage that occurred to determine If it comes under your coverage. The more comprehensive your homeowner’s insurance policy, the sooner you will receive compensation.

In the end, the adjuster might not be able to reach your location, especially if your house was flooded due to more significant weather events. In that case, document everything and keep photographic evidence of every damaged item including your ring doorbells. Moreover, don’t forget that there is a difference between flood damage and water damage, despite people using both terms interchangeably- click here to know more about the differences! Chances are flood damage isn’t covered under your insurance plan, and you will have to purchase it separately. So, go ahead and get in touch with your insurance provider to explore more!

Safety should be your top priority. 

The next step after contacting your insurance provider is to ensure everyone remains safe. After all, you might be forced to leave your living space if the flooding is severe, and the best possible course of action is to go someplace safe immediately. However, after returning home when flooding is over, ensure that you keep yourself safe to begin dealing with the flood damage your home incurred. So, the best thing to do here is to switch off all sources of electricity, as electricity and water don’t mix well. Moreover, ensure that you’re wearing protective clothing like gloves and rubber boots when you reenter your house. not to mention, you’ll have to deal with any debris or sewage water that the flood might have carried into your home.

Furthermore, if the water level were high enough to reach your pantry cabinets or fridge, it would be wise to discard every food item and buy more. Also, don’t forget to thoroughly wash flatware, kitchenware, glasses, mugs, etc. The dirty floodwater might have been contaminated if you want to reuse them.

Stop more water from entering your home. 

The next thing to restore your property after flood damage is to stop the source of water that might have resulted in the flood itself. Sure, if mother nature was at play, you might not be able to do anything other than remove water from the premises. However, you can take a few necessary steps to ensure that no more water enters your home. For instance, if flooding occurs due to a broken sump pump, replace it or repair it will allow you to keep rainwater out and avoid further damage to your main floor, crawl space, basement, or garage.

On the other hand, if the flooding was a direct result of a burst water pipe, fix it as soon as you can to reduce flood damage. In the end, the sooner your stop more water from entering your home, the sooner you’ll get to removing water and repairing damages caused by it.

Remove water to reduce damage. 

After stopping water from entering your home, the next step is to remove it from the premises. Depending on the extent of flooding and the number of rooms affected by the flood, the water removal process you have to apply might vary. For example, you might have to use hoses to drain water or bail it out using bins and buckets in case of a flooded basement. That said, after the water recedes, you can switch on your wet vacuum to suck in the remaining water or use towels to soak small water puddles left behind. In the end, if you follow this step effectively, you’ll be lucky enough to have to deal with little to no flood damage at all.

Repair damages that resulted from the flood. 

The next step in the restoration process is fixing the damages that the flood caused. It is probably the most time-consuming step of the entire process. After all, you might have to deal with a few issues like flooring that might need replacing, broken windows resulting from water rushing in, and soaked moldy furniture, to name a few. So, after your insurance provider pays you out for all qualifying flood-related damages, you must hire a builder or a contractor if one is required.

Furthermore, if any electronics were damaged by to flood, don’t forget to have them checked out by a technician before you decide to plug them into a live electrical socket. Doing so will allow you to determine whether the floodwater damaged your floor and walls and if they require replacement or not! These include game consoles, appliances, computers, laptops, stereos, and much more. However, if you’re unsure about what step to take when fixing damages, it would be wise to hire a construction company that specializes in flood damage repair.

Conclusion. 

The effects of flood damage can happen fast if you don’t take immediate action. Flood water will slowly spread throughout your entire house and eat away everything that comes in its way. Your carpets will get stained. Your furniture will deteriorate. And your books and other essential documents will warp and bulge. So, the sooner your start to rectify flood damage, the better it will be.