Flooding can come from many sources, such as heavy rainfall, plumbing leaks, or sewage backups. Whatever the case may be, you need to prepare for the worst and be ready to take action. With this in mind, here are six things you should do after your house floods.
Make Sure Your Home Is Safe To Enter
After a flood, the electrical components in your home could be compromised, leading to a greater risk of electrocution. If your home is currently flooding, you should try to salvage whatever you can and then evacuate the premises.
Once the flood is over and you are left with standing water, ensure your home is safe to enter before you go back. Wear protective gear such as rubber boots, gloves, and a mask to avoid being exposed to any chemicals.
Remove the Water
Once you deem your home safe to reenter, you need to remove all the water. If there’s still water leaking into your home, stopping the water flow should be the first task on your list.
After you stop the water, you should start removing it from the premises. Filling up a bucket and dumping the water into the sewer should get a small flood under control, but you will need a hose and a sump pump for large amounts of water.
Dry Out Your Home
Your home will be soaked after you get rid of all the water, so you should use a wet vacuum to remove any remaining water. Afterwards, you should use a dehumidifier to remove excess moisture.
File a Claim With Your Insurance Company
As a homeowner, you hopefully have homeowners’ insurance that covers flood damage. To prevent paying for all the repairs, file a claim with your insurance company so that you can start rebuilding after the fallout.
Thoroughly Clean Your Home
At this point, there shouldn’t be any water in your home, and your insurance company is reimbursing you for the damage. Throwing out ruined items and sanitizing all surfaces will help get your house back to normal faster.
Mold will develop anywhere with moisture, especially after a flood, so you should look for custom HVAC filters specifically designed to collect mold.
Repair Any Damaged Appliances and Fixtures
With your home back in good shape, you can now start putting things back inside and repairing any damaged appliances and fixtures. After a flood, your windows, refrigerator, laundry machine, and HVAC system might be damaged, so getting them fixed should be a top priority.
Floods are devastating, so you should be prepared for them. Now that you know the six things you should do after your house floods, you can be better prepared to handle them.
