No one wants to think about, but it is of crucial importance to be prepared and to know what to do if your house gets flooded. You have to know how to act not only to stop further damage but also to ensure the safety of your family members. In the following text, we are going to make a list of things you have to do and also give you some advice on how to clean and restore your home.
If the flood is not caused by a natural disaster, but by some plumbing failures, the very first thing you have to do is to shut down the main source. If you are not sure which valve failed, our advice is to turn off the main one. You will have time later to search for the faulty one, but now you have to prevent additional destruction.
Furthermore, you have to turn off the electricity. If you cannot reach the fuse box without going through water, then don’t even attempt it. Instead, evacuate the premises, and call an electrician. They will come and help you solve this problem.
Once everything is taken care of, your next step is to find the cause of the flood. Unless you are in this line of work, our advice is to hire a professional. Maybe there is a burst pipe that needs repairing or a blocked drain that needs cleaning. If the latter is the problem, you should call a London-based company quickcleardrainage.co.uk. Just, whatever you do, do not try to fix it on your own if you don’t know exactly what you are doing because you can do more harm than good.
If you think that cleaning is the next step, you are wrong. Firstly, you have to document everything. You need proof for the insurance company, right? So take your smartphone out and photograph every area of the house, write down all information you believe to be important. Since there are three types of floodwater (clean, gray, and black), there are several degrees of damage thus you have to wear protective gear and try to avoid direct contact with water. Obviously, the next step is to contact the insurance company, provide them with all the documentation so that they could start their work as soon as possible.
Finally, it is time to clean everything and restore it the way it used to be. Open all the windows to improve air circulation and start the process of removing water. In order to avoid damage to the wooden floorboards, you have to eliminate the water as quickly as you can. Clean the furniture, scrub the carpets and sanitize every surface. Remember, even if the water is clear, it still can be contaminated hence it can pose danger to your health. Don’t even think of starting the cleaning process unless you have all the protective gear. What’s more, even if you are unsure whether or not water is polluted, you should get rid of carpets and everything that has been submerged in it for a longer period of time.
All in all, these are some main steps you should follow in case of flooding – shut down the source, turn off the electricity, evacuate, document everything, file a complaint, and start cleaning your home.
