How to Deal with Flooding in Your Home

Water damage can be devastating to your home and possessions, and flooding can cause a big problem. If you experience flooding in your home, you know that there is work ahead to repair the damage and restore everything to how it was before. Here are a few things you should know when it comes to flooding in your home and how to handle it.

Water Damage Restoration—Troy, Michigan

Identify The Source Of The Flooding

There are a lot of things that could cause your home or basement to flood. A backed-up toilet, an overflowing tub, a burst pipe, or a broken appliance can all cause it. Extreme weather can cause water to come into your house from outside. The first thing you should do is try to identify the source of the flooding and determine if it can be turned off. It may seem like a no-brainer, but turning off the source can save your home from further damage. If you can safely turn off an appliance or an overflowing tub, do so. Another option might be to turn off the water in your house completely.

Standing Water Might Not Be Sanitary

You may think that you should just wade through water and try to save whatever you can from getting damaged. However, when it comes to flooding, there is a chance that the water might be contaminated. If it is simply from rain or the bathtub, then it is more likely to be clean. However, appliances that use water could also contain chemicals that are harmful to touch. Flooding that includes any kind of sewage is at risk of being filled with bacteria that you do not want to come in contact with or ingest in any way. Do not enter flood water without knowing where it came from and how dangerous it is.

Water Carries Electric Currents

Even if you think the water source is probably clean, you should still not touch standing water during flooding because it could be dangerous for another reason. If the standing water is deep enough that it reaches the electric outlets in your wall, DO NOT enter the water. It could be charged with electricity, and touching it could shock you and even kill you. The safest thing you can do is evacuate your home and call a professional water damage and flooding repair service to inspect it and determine whether or not it is safe. You may also want to turn off your house’s electricity just to be safe.

Water Extraction Will Not Be Enough

After you have been able to remove the water from your home and are left with your soaked house, furniture, and possessions, you may think you are in the clear once it is visibly dry. However, simply trying to dry everything off will be enough. There is likely still damage inside the walls and beneath the floors that will need to be dealt with. Waiting to repair this damage would be a big mistake. It needs to be taken care of immediately by professionals to ensure that your home is not at risk of any further or worsening damage occurring from the flood.

If you have experienced flooding or any degree of water damage in your home, call On-Site Specialty Cleaning & Restoration. They will help remove the water and restore your property safely.