What You Should Know Before Cleaning Up After Water Damage In Your Home or Office?
If you are a homeowner, or even if you have a rental, the possibility of experiencing water damage is always there. You may have a home that was built decades ago, and the materials that were used are likely old and outdated. If you have an office, the same is true, particularly if you have a substantial amount of plumbing in washrooms, bathrooms, and other areas.
If you do experience water damage, there are a few things that you should be fully aware of before you embark upon resolving the problems caused by water damage in your home or office.
How To Begin Cleaning Up Water Damage
Although most people will rely upon a professional water damage restoration company to do most of this cleanup work for them, it is possible to do some initial work before they arrive. If the water is shut off, and is no longer flowing, you may have water in many areas that needs to be mopped up so that the floor can drive. If you have carpet, you will want to rent a carpet cleaner. This will allow you to extract the water so that you can stop it percolating down into the floorboards. Another possibility is that you may have large quantities of linoleum, or even hardwood floors, that can be damaged with sitting water on top of them. For that, you will need to find a mop, or an assortment of towels, where you can begin to extract the water. If this happens in a basement area, sump pumps can be purchased, or you can rent them, so as to begin the process of removing the standing water as soon as possible.
Are There Things That You Should Not Do On Your Own?
There are a couple of things that you should not do if you have standing water in your home or office. First of all, you should not begin any cleanup operations at all until you know that the electricity is off. This is a precautionary measure, assuming that there is the potential for live wires that could send electricity through the water into your body.
In regard to cleaning up after the flooding, it is highly recommended that you use gloves. If this is the result of sewage, perhaps from a backed up septic tank, you should leave this alone completely until professionals arrive. Even if you have rubber boots, rubber gloves, and other types of personal protection, there is still the possibility that you could contract some type of virus or bacteria. These are the areas where you should leave this up to professional home restoration companies that will have the equipment, and the safety measures necessary, to do the job properly.
How Quickly Should You Act After The Water Has Stopped Flowing?
If the water is no longer flowing, and this was not related to sewage, you can begin to mop up the water right away. It is important to be somewhat organized, having an assortment of towels, a mop bucket, and a squeegee if you have hardwood floors that will make this easier to clean. As mentioned before, if this could pose any danger to you, it is better to deal with higher amounts of damage by letting the water sit. Within hours, most of these home restoration companies will be at your location to clean up everything for you in the most efficient and safe manner.
Although most of us will not have a catastrophic flood to deal with in our home and office, it’s always good to be prepared. If you can prepare by purchasing a mop and bucket, multiple towels, and the proper safety gear, you can start right away before the professional water damage restoration technicians arrive. This could potentially help you save a substantial amount of money, especially if the flooding was significant.
Using these tips, you will be better prepared to handle any type of flooding that may occur in your office or home in the near future.