How to Safely Remove Water Damage from Your Home After the Storm

Depending on the type of storm, you may find yourself overwhelmed by rainwater or groundwater flooding. Neither make for an ideal situation. While this is certainly a confusing time, you need to concern yourself with the water damage restoration process. It’s the only surefire way to save your home from long-term damage and contamination. However, it’s important to go about the process safely. There are certain risks, including electrocution and waterborne contamination. It’s generally best to hire a professional water damage repair team. They will come fully prepared with advanced restoration equipment and industry techniques.

Safely Removing Water Damage

The first and, arguably, the most important step when dealing with storm damage of any kind is safety, which is why hiring a local restoration team is generally the best path. In the event you are forced to remove standing water or begin cleanup yourself, it pays to be safe and know what you’re doing.

• Shut off the power to your home – water and electricity never mix. If the main panel to shut off the water is in a wet area, however, do not attempt anything. Call an electrician or the utility companies.
• If you must enter the property or walk through standing water, always wear protective clothing. You’ll want to wear rubber boots, gloves, coveralls, and wear a respirator.
• To avoid waterborne illness, thoroughly wash any items, especially dinnerware and glasses, that may have come in contact with floodwaters.
• Keep your valued possessions safe by lifting wood furniture off the ground. A good trick is to put a bit of tin foil under the feet of such furniture to prevent staining from the carpet. You may need to toss out water-damaged rugs, though.

Drying the Home

If you can successfully remove any standing water from the property, either alone or with the help of a local restoration team, the next step is drying the entire premises. Everything will be soaking wet and damp. It will start to smell before long.

If there is electricity in the house, turn on the central air conditioning system. It will assist in removing any humidity. Furthermore, portable fans and dehumidifiers, when positioned correctly, can help dry the wet, spongy areas of the house.

It’s important to remember that there is no such thing as too dry after dealing with water damage. Even a little moisture leftover in the carpet is enough for mold spores to settle and begin to spread. With mold, you have less than 48 hours to deal with the water damage and moisture before it becomes a problem. Then, your health is at risk.

Don’t muck about in inches of standing water. Let the team at Restoration 1 of OKC tackle your water damage concerns with the right tools for the job. Give us a call at 405-265-9133!