5 Things To Do As Soon As You Notice Water Damage In Your Home

One of the most annoying things that can ever happen is realizing you have water damage inside your home. No home is ever completely safe and it can happen to anyone. When you notice the first signs of water lying everywhere you’re going to be running around like crazy trying to figure out the best thing to do.

It’s better to know the correct procedure when dealing with it because if you don’t fix it properly there is a good chance it could end up costing you more money than you think. We’re going to now take a look at what you should do, so if you are experiencing problems at the moment you can take care of it properly. If you don’t have any water damage at the moment then please keep it in mind for the future.

1. Make Sure the Area is Safe

Safety is obviously the most important thing you need to take into consideration because rushing in and getting hurt isn’t going to help anyone. Go straight to your power box and kill the electricity as getting electrocuted is going to leave you with more than a sprained ankle. You shouldn’t throw your life on the line to save materialistic possessions. If the water is deep you might also want to check there are no hazards lying in the area you can trip up on.

2. Take out Your Furniture

Before you deal with the water you should take all your furniture away from the damaged area as soon as possible. If the water hasn’t reached anything yet it’s even better because eventually it might, but if your furniture is already wet take it outside and let it air out. It’s too easy to start trying to find out where the water is coming from, but I’m guessing you paid a lot of money for your furniture and you don’t want it to end up ruined.

3. Remove the Flooring

If you want to deal with the problem properly you will have to lift any carpets or linoleum from the floor. There is no way it will be able to dry out properly unless the flooring is lifted and when water damage doesn’t dry properly there is a much greater chance of mold growing. Take it outside and let it dry naturally before it goes back down. If there are any rugs on the floor you can throw them in the washing machine.

4. Dry it Properly

Leaving the puddle for a few days to dry up naturally is a bad idea and it needs to be taken care of as soon as possible. You should use a professional vacuum cleaner which can be hired from somewhere to soak up all the water. Grab a bucket of soap and water to scrub the surrounding areas to make sure everything is nice and clean. Now get as much fans as possible and blast the air onto the damp area until it’s dry. This is important and it will keep mold away.

5. Contact a Plumber

Just because you think the area is fine doesn’t mean the problem is taken care of. There is a good chance the water will come back and it’s equally as likely there could be more damage in places you can’t see. Without a professional coming to take a look you are really taking a big risk. If anything does need to be dealt with straight away the plumber can sort it out. Don’t forget to have your electrical appliances seen to be an electrician before you use them again if they were sitting in water.

Jimmy Hayden is the owner of Granwood Flooring. He likes blogging and is very vocal about various topics related to home improvement. Not only does he gives advise on his blog but also likes to take part in many social causes and has spent considerable time with an independant NGO.

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