Being a homeowner can be a very rewarding experience. From the freedom to paint your home whatever colors you choose to the security of a home to raise a family and eventually grow old, there are a number of reasons people choose to buy their homes. Whatever your reasoning for becoming a homeowner, you know that while the rewards are certainly worth the effort, owning a home is a considerable undertaking and responsibility, and it doesn’t end after you’ve signed the papers and moved in.
For instance, there are many problems that can arise during your lifetime in your home. Anything from a rodent infestation to a broken window can wreak havoc on your dream home and require plenty of money and time to fix. But without a doubt, one of the most disastrous situations a homeowner can find themselves in is that of a flood.
Whether caused by something as small as a broken water pipe or as destructive as a hurricane, flooding in the home can have drastic and long-lasting consequences if left for long. For this reason, all water damage clean-up and restoration processes should begin as quickly as possible, as leaving moisture and humidity at a high level invites and encourages not only serious structural damage, but also the growth and proliferation of indoor contaminants such as mold.
In the event that your house is flooded due to something like a broken pipe or faulty appliance, try to have the flow of water turned off as quickly as possible, so as to try and minimize the extent of the flooding. If the flooding is bad enough, you may want to have all electricity to the household turned off as well, as appliances and light fixtures can short-circuit, sending electricity through standing water or wet carpeting, creating a serious electrical hazard.
Once you’re sure it’s safe to enter the property, take a look around. Try to determine the extent of the water damage, not only to the building but also your property. If the flooding occurred more than 24-48 hours prior to the beginning of dehydrating the property, not only is this a danger to the structural integrity of the building, but mold has almost certainly begun developing through all organic materials in the household that were affected by the moisture, like furniture upholstery, clothing, and drywall. Dormant mold spores exist nearly everywhere and, given the proper environment of constant moisture, can fully immerse itself through a home within the course of a few days, and can be extremely difficult to remove.
Regardless of when the flooding occurred, removing the water and restoring your home can be a difficult and lengthy process which you will want to begin as soon as possible in order to limit lasting damage. If the humidity outside is lower than the humidity inside your home, open all windows and doors and run fans in order to circulate moist air outside, and look into bringing dehumidifiers into the building.
If the water has inundated more than a few square feet, it would be wise to meet with a professional contractor regarding dehumidifying and restoring the property, especially if the moisture has been there long enough for mold to potentially develop.
Beginning with emergency extraction of water from the property to performing deodorization and reconstruction efforts, Indoor-Restore technicians are thoroughly versed in all aspects of water damage clean-up and restoration. In cases where the moisture may have been gathered for a long enough period of time for mold to potentially have begun growing, Indoor-Restore also provides full mold and indoor air quality testing, as well as full mold remediation, backed by a 10 year warranty.
If your homeowner’s insurance covers water damage and flooding, Indoor-Restore also offers insurance claims assistance and mitigation to not only ensure that all claims paperwork is properly filled out and filed, but they will also work directly with your insurance company for a prompt resolution of the water problem.
When water menaces the safety and comfort of your home, working quickly and diligently is of the utmost importance. By following a few key steps and getting the right professional help, you can drastically reduce the extent of water damage as well as the amount of time water restoration will take.
