Floods, whether man-made or natural, can do extensive damage to a home or rental property. If your house or apartment floods, the most important thing to do is stay calm. Next, you should call Rainbow Restoration® to get the ball rolling on your restoration efforts. The faster you start cleaning up, the better chance you have of mitigating mold damage and returning to life as usual in the shortest amount of time possible.
While you wait for a team of water damage restoration experts to arrive at your home, here’s what you should do based on whether you’re a homeowner or renter.
Flood Restoration Checklist for Homeowners
You can limit water damage if you know what to do after a flood in your home:
- Shut off the water main to stop flooding from leaky appliances, burst pipes, or backed-up drains.
- Turn off the electrical breaker before removing electronics and appliances from flooded areas, even if the carpet is only slightly damp. Don’t attempt to turn on the lights while working in a flood-damaged home.
- Take pictures before restoration begins to document the damage for insurance purposes.
- Wear protective clothing during cleanup, including rubber boots and gloves, to avoid coming in contact with contaminants.
- Place squares of aluminum foil under furniture legs to prevent permanently staining the carpet.
- Lift curtains and tack up furniture skirts to keep these textiles away from the wet carpet.
- Discard food and kitchenware that have come in contact with floodwater, including canned food, sealed water bottles, and cutlery.
- Cover the roof with a tarp and board up the windows to prevent further damage from continued rains until you can have these areas permanently repaired.
- Call your insurance company to begin the claims process.
- Let Rainbow Restoration Restoration handle water removal, structural drying, and mold remediation. Our team has the expertise you need to start rebuilding after a flood. We deliver a fast response and use effective methods to restore your home and prevent further damage from continued flooding and mold growth. Let us put our years of experience to use restoring your flooded home.
Flood Damage Checklist for Renters
Many of the points on the above checklist also apply to property renters. Then, take these additional steps:
- Report flooding from rain or broken appliances immediately so your landlord can work to resolve them before the problem worsens.
- Move valuable possessions to your car, a friend’s house, or an unaffected room in your apartment.
- Attempt to seal leaks and contain water with plastic bins, trash cans, or barriers.
- Talk to your landlord about how to proceed. Landlord insurance should cover the cost to repair the building structure itself, including the carpet and included appliances, but you may need renter’s insurance to cover any damage to your personal property. If you previously reported the problem and your landlord took no action to fix it, you may be able to demand compensation for your personal property.
Don’t Delay Flood Restoration
The efforts you make immediately after your house or apartment floods are vital in starting the restoration process as fast as possible. However, you shouldn’t delay seeking help from a professional if you want to restore your home to its former glory.
At Rainbow Restoration Restoration, our techniques go far beyond using shop vacuums to remove water from the carpet. Our goal is to prevent water from wicking up walls and under baseboards where hidden mold can grow. We control the humidity for overall structure drying so you can move back into your home without fear of future health problems.
To request professional flood restoration services, please contact us today!
