Every person who at least once faced residential house or commercial building damages caused by flooding knows how stressful and challenging the restoration process can be. It also requires a lot of moral and physical strength to overcome such a problem. Especially from commercial buildings owner, who knows that business premises need to return to normal shape as soon as possible.
What to Do After Flooding: Step by Step
- Call your insurance company to find out the right procedure to document the damage and get the contact of a reputable restoration company with experience of work with flood-damaged buildings;
- Contact flood damage restoration company and let them assess the level of damage and if it is safe to enter the house start to remove all of your items that can be restored and you would like them to do it. Such companies usually have special warehouses with special equipment for drying out and restoring the items and furniture.
- The next important step that should be done by the restoration company is removing all of the standing water that is left after flooding. This step should be done as soon as possible because standing water causes further damage to buildings structures.
- Once the standing water is removed the building needs to dry out. Opened doors and windows, ventilation, and dehumidifiers will be more than helpful to get air flowing for the drying process.
How to Stay Safe After Flooding: Safety Rules
- Make sure that electricity is down before you will try to enter the flood-damaged house. Call an electrician if it is impossible to do it safely by yourself. It is important because you surely do not what to step into the water and receive an electric shock.
- Before start to remove debris and items from the building and start the preparations for the restoration process, make sure that buildings’ structures are in a good shape and it is safe to do it. Better hire a professional specialist to check the structures after water damage.
- Do not forget about disinfection because sewer water and mud can become a reason for your health and the health of your family members and pets. The restoration company should do it right after removing all of the water from the building.
- Mold is one more danger for human health that may be caused by flooding. In case the premises of your building will not dry out quickly enough, there is a high risk of mildew and mold growing there. To fight the mold issue you will need to hire professionals.
Thorough Inspection Before Restoration
Professional restoration company needs to inspect every inch of the flood-damaged building to make sure that they did not miss any detail that can cause a potential danger in the future. Such thorough inspection includes the following:
- Opening up the walls because after the flooding it may be wood rot and mold growth there. Drywall needs to be pulled out until the level just above the waterline, all of the wet insulation and mud need to be removed.
- Removing damaged floorboards to prevent hardwood floor buckling. Better to remove one floorboard every couple of feet and then start the boards sanitizing and cleaning process.
- Removing tile flooring because it is required to dry out the subfloor after the flooding damage.
- Drying the OSB or plywood subfloor. This process can take some time, but it should be done well and thoroughly to prevent warping and swelling. All submerged in water areas of subfloor requires immediate replacement.
- Sanitizing and cleaning of the walls, trim, floors, and woodwork that did not be affected by water during the flooding because these materials still can become a place for mold growth.
As you already can understand, the cleanup and restoration process of the flood-damaged residential house or commercial building is very complex and thorough. That is why you need to be one hundred percent sure that the restoration company that you hired has a professional team of technicians equipped with all necessary special equipment, with knowledge of best practices and successful experiences.
So if your residential or business property, unfortunately, faced flooding damage and you are seeking the right company, call Signature Water and Fire Restoration. Our professional team will restore your property thoroughly and as quickly as possible. Here is our 24/7 phone number: 1-224-515-0100.