How to Repair Home Flood Damage
When your home has experienced flood damage, the first thing you need to do is to determine the cause of your flooding, because not all water is created equal. There are three grades to water that can end up in your house and each category requires a different approach to clean up.
Category 1 consists of clean water that does not pose substantial harm to humans. It is what you get when water supply pipes break or crack. This type of water damage is the easiest to clean up if it is taken care of immediately.
Category 2 is a gray water source that is unsanitary water that contains some contamination, and it can be harmful to humans. This is what you will get if your washing machine or dishwasher overflows. Another common source of this water is from broken aquariums or punctured water beds. Toilet bowls can spill all three categories of water, depending on what is broken. Furthermore, gray water becomes reclassified as category 3 water if it is untreated for longer than 48 hours.
Category 3 is black water and it always contains pathogenic agents capable of causing humans serious illness. This is water from sewage back-ups, ground surface water, and sea or river water. Please stay out of this water if possible. It can harm you in a variety of ways.
In any home flooding event, your first stop should be the water shut off valve and your first call should be to PuroClean Certified Restoration. Then take the following steps to help prevent more damage to your home and valuables:
– Open any storage containers and dry them in sunlight if possible.
– Protect your furniture by placing plastic or aluminum under the furniture legs.
– Remove any artwork to a safe, dry place.
– Dry out all of your garments as soon as possible.
– Start to remove excess water. In cooler weather, open the windows. In hot weather, use the air conditioner.
– Upholstery cushions can be propped up or removed to speed up their dry times.
– Remove any area rugs, books or magazines that have become wet in the flood.
If you have any questions or other concerns, please call PuroClean Certified Restoration for immediate professional assistance with restoring your home after flood damage.