Floods often occur in a house, apartment, or commercial premises. They can occur as a result of human negligence or due to heavy rainfall, river overflows, etc. In that case, people are often powerless against the forces of nature. Such disasters can often neither be predicted nor prevented. Natural disasters such as flooding cause property damage and economic losses. In order to claim your insurance, you should hire a public insurance adjuster who will assess the risks associated with the property and assist you to get the most out of your claim.
But people can often prevent floods caused by their negligence. Still, you can't predict whether your neighbor forgot to turn the sink off. So every homeowner should adhere to prevention measures to reduce flood risk and damage to their own and others' property. Find out more about these measures here.
If a flood does occur, it can cause great destruction. Very often, lives can be in danger, not to mention material damage. By acting correctly and decisively, you can mitigate the consequences of floods and repair water damage.
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Room Cleaning and Disinfection
Depending on the flood extent, the damage to your property may be small, in the sense that only the furniture is destroyed, or greater when structural damage is visible. Before you start solving these problems, you have to drain, clean, and disinfect the area. It's an essential step in preventing further consequences of the flood.
After removing the water from the room, call your insurance agent. If you are insured, you have to take certain steps to recover the damage caused. It includes making a list of damage and documenting it with photos. Don't start any remediation until the insurance agents arrive and do their job.
After the bureaucratic part of the job, you can start repairing the damage. First, remove carpets, mattresses, sheets, and curtains. It is best to throw them away because harmful bacteria can develop in soaked textiles. Clothes should be washed and dried well, even several times in a row.
Remove furniture that you can't save, such as plywood or upholstered pieces. They are almost impossible to repair and disinfect, or the repair itself is costly. Solid wood furniture can be restored, but dry and disinfect it first. Entrust this job to specialists, especially if you have expensive pieces. That doesn't apply to wooden floors, which most often need to be completely replaced after a flood.
Check Electronics
A flood that has occurred in a house or just one room will almost certainly cause damage to electrical installations and devices that have been in contact with water. But it doesn't necessarily mean that everything is completely destroyed and useless.
It is best to have the electric installation and damage checked by a specialist. You should bring home appliances to a service center as experts may fix and save some of them. You mustn't attempt the repair yourself as there is a risk of fire or electric shock.
Preventing Mold Development
Floods, especially if they are natural, bring dirt that contributes to the development of microorganisms. After only 48 hours after the surge, giant colonies of algae, fungi, and mold can form in your home. Dirty stagnant water is an ideal base for developing pathogens that pose a great danger to human health.
Fungi and molds can cause various infections, asthma, allergic reactions, and many other diseases, even a few years after the flood. It takes a few weeks for the mold to become visible, but it will certainly appear in the flooded area. Whether your home has been destroyed by flood, storm, burst pipes, or leaks, you must hire a water damage restoration company in Orland park to prevent deterioration and rebuild the material to its original condition.
Using heavy artillery movers, these professionals will use dehumidifiers to remove excess moisture and fast-dry the building. By drying the house, mold will not form in the building and its humidity will remain low. If you respond to a disaster quickly, you will lessen the damage to your walls, belongings, and furniture.
Washing Walls and Floors
Moisture remains trapped in the walls and floors for some time. That's quite enough for mold and mildew to grow. With a timely reaction, you will prevent the formation of their colonies and their harmful effect on health. Since you will need certain chemicals to clean the walls and floors, you need protective equipment - gloves, shoes, goggles, and masks.
Start by superficially removing dirt from walls and floors. Use scrapers, brushes, high-pressure washers, and water vacuum cleaners for this. Remove as many paint coats as possible from the wall. That will speed up the drying of surfaces and facilitate repairs.
If you have a steam cleaner, it will be of great help as it cleans and disinfects surfaces at the same time. Move it on the surface slightly, and you can repeat the procedure several times. If you don't have this handy appliance, you can wash the walls and floors with a brush and disinfectant solution. Or you can call Virginia Beach mold removal service and have peace of mind.
For DIY mold removal, use chlorine-based cleaning agents. This element is an excellent disinfectant and not harmful to health. So you can safely repeat the procedure several times. Be sure to buy these products in pharmacies or specialized stores and use them according to the instructions.
Space Drying
After thoroughly cleaning the walls and floors, it is crucial to wipe the entire area with dry cloths to remove excess water. Only then can you proceed to dry the space. Yet, don't expect this process to be quick, especially if you've been facing flooding during the fall or winter.
It's possible to dry the space alone or with the help of professionals. The first option refers to the ventilation of the space and the eventual use of dehumidifiers. Yet, even with good weather conditions, complete drying is not possible in the next few months. Do not use heaters as they won't speed things up. In fact, heat can speed up mold and mildew development.
On the other hand, drying with professional equipment takes three to four weeks. These machines have a large capacity and can be rented for a certain period. These are sources of low heat that do not favor the development of moisture but slowly eliminate it by drying out the air and surfaces.
A flood in your living or business space can seem like the end of the world. But you have to stay calm and react as quickly as possible and thus prevent or reduce damage. The recovery period will be long, but you can speed it up with a timely response.
