What To Do When Your House Floods

House floods can be caused by various things such as broken pipes and poor drainage. Even malfunctioning appliances or a damaged foundation can cause floods in your home. While these causes can be prevented, when the flooding is caused by extreme weather conditions, you may have no other choice but to evacuate to a safer place.

This article tackles the things that you can do when your house floods.

Hire a Public adjuster

When your home has been flooded due to exterior water damage, you may be entitled to reimbursement for the insurance repair costs. If you’ve been a victim of a house flood, you can make the process simpler by contracting with the public adjuster for house floods. Because most of the time insurance company doesn’t cover your property damaged by flooding, it’s probably a good idea to hire a public adjuster to restructure the claims process, if you are looking for a fast, low-cost, and efficient solution to repair your property. Public adjusters who are well-versed in the most effective methods of dealing with insurance claims will settle the claims quickly.

Put Safety First

You may feel overwhelmed and stressed out when flooding occurs in your home and this can take a toll on your mental health. In this case, the first thing that you need to do is to breathe and take time to calm yourself. In doing so, you will be able to think clearly about how you will begin addressing the problem. As soon as you are ready, make sure to prioritize your safety and make sure that power sources are turned off. Also, make sure to wear protective clothing before you even begin any cleaning and tidying. The reason behind this is that you are not sure whether the floodwater is already contaminated with hazardous chemicals or other debris.

Stop the Water Source

Before you even begin cleaning, make sure to prevent any more water from coming into your home. In case the flooding is caused by a broken pipe, make sure to turn off the water supply to your home. In case of floods caused by storms or natural disasters, you may need to install barriers to stop water from entering.

Tidy Up

Before you tidy up, make sure to take a picture of the current state of your home because this can be a valuable piece of evidence to support your claim to your insurance provider later on. After this, you can already start removing standing water using buckets or hoses. Also, make sure to find any “hiding” water or water that penetrated the structural cavities of your home. After you have removed standing water, the next thing that you need to do is to dry your property to prevent the growth of mold and bacteria. In this case, you can open your windows for natural drying or use large industrial fans if available. After you have successfully dried up your home, make sure to inspect for the presence of molds, which can be a serious health hazard if not treated promptly.

After drying, it is a good idea to have your home disinfected by professional cleaners. They are the ones in the best position to safely remove mold from your home. They will ensure that every surface is cleaned and disinfected to kill any germs, bacteria, and fungi that may be present after the flooding incident occurred. You can also minimize your loss by trying to salvage all the things that you can still save after the flooding. You just need to dry your things out and try to see if they still work as intended. Otherwise, you may already need to evaluate the value of the things that are already irreplaceable. Aside from your things, you can also begin restoring and rebuilding your home as soon as you are done cleaning and tidying up.

Assess your Home’s Structure

After cleaning your home, the damage will be more apparent. This is the best time for you to assess your home’s overall structure. Get in touch with utility companies in case you find any damage to your water, gas, sewer, or electric lines. Remember that only professionals should handle the repairs of these lines.

Get in Touch with your Insurance Provider

You should also contact your insurance provider after your house has been flooded. Just remember that your coverage depends on the policy that you have. Just keep in mind not to start any renovation process until you have properly notified your insurance provider. As soon as you receive their authorization, you can already proceed with finding reliable contractors.

There are several things that you can do to prevent flooding in your home such as properly maintaining your pipes and drainage system, as well as your appliances. Ensuring that your house is in its best condition is another way to prevent any impending house flood. However, these are only applicable to the things that you can control because when the flooding is already caused by extreme weather disturbances, then you should make your safety a priority. Only when it is safe for you to go back home should you focus on the things that you need to do to restore your home.