Being a homeowner is not easy. You’re constantly dealing with loans, mortgage payments, utilities, and routine minor repairs and renovations. Something you don’t want to be dealing with is a serious structural issue because that will drain even more of your resources and time. Water damage is a serious structural issue and can destroy your home at its foundation if you’re not careful. Assessing the situation properly and taking the right measures to deal with it is key to preventing any major damage to your home. Here are the main things you should do if you’ve noticed water damage.
Turn Off the Power
Ensuring safety is the first step to repairing your home and preventing major damage. Water is conductive, and countless small, hidden ports in any home can electrify water. If the damage is severe, and there are pools of standing water, you should turn off the power at the circuit breakers or from the backend by calling electricians to your home. If the floors are damp, it’s a good idea to turn off anything that uses electricity on that whole floor, just to be safe. This way, you’ll have freedom of movement in your home without worrying about electrical shocks, and you’ll be able to save as many items as possible.
Locate and Stop the Source
The next step is to locate and stop the source of the water damage. If water still leaks in your house, it’ll be difficult to save anything or minimize damage. Follow the trail of water or go by the sound of gushing water until you find where it’s coming from. Common causes are roof leaks, burst pipes, and faulty water appliances like dishwashers and laundry machines. Checking all these areas of your home will help you find the source and shut it down before it gets flooded. If you’re having trouble with this, you can call professionals for help, but while waiting for their arrival, the water in your home will continue to build up.
Remove Standing Water and Dry
It’s important to remove all the standing water in your home. Standing water will damage your appliances and furniture, especially wooden and other valuables like cutlery and physical pictures. Drain the water by carrying it out of the home in buckets and throwing it outside. Once you’ve gotten rid of the water, dry the floors as best you can. Open the windows to improve ventilation, and turn on all the fans in your home and dehumidifiers if you have any. Drying the floor immediately will help prevent the growth and spread of mold or rot in your home.
Contact Professional Contractors
Depending on the severity of the water damage in your home, you’ll likely need some professional assistance. Luckily, thousands of contractors across the country specialize in this kind of work. Restoration contractors will minimize the damage in your home and restore damaged areas, usually floorboards, walls, furniture, and the house’s foundation. Hiring contractors is the most common way of fixing structural issues in the home.
Document the Damage and Contact Your Insurance
Water damage can be severe and very costly. The average homeowner may not comfortably afford all the necessary repairs. Luckily, most homeowner’s insurances offer assistance with these issues. Once you’ve dealt with the immediate threats, document the damage by taking pictures of your home where the water has seeped in. Contact your insurance provider and tell them about the situation you’re facing. They will help you with the contractors’ payment and the other repairs you’ll need to make.
Conclusion
Owning a property is all about mitigating risk and protecting your investment. The biggest enemy in this goal is the environment and other sources of damage to your house. Even a small problem can cascade into a major headache if it’s not addressed for long enough. This is especially the case with water damage. It’s better to be smart and safe, fixing all the potential problems you notice within your home before it gets out of hand. If you use the information in this article, that will be made easier for you.
