Water Removal: Here Are Some Do's And Don'ts To Follow
A massive thunderstorm poured down on your now defunct roof
. You'd been meaning to get those shingles and leaky areas repaired but now it's too late.A portion of the ceiling caved in under the pressure and your house has been flooded. Or you turned on the bathtub just as the phone rang. After a lengthy telephone conversation you hang up to see a river coming from the bathroom door. Or perhaps Mother Nature paid an angry visit to your part of the world with a flood, hurricane or typhoon.
Your comfortable home is now dripping with interior water. What's a homeowner to do?
1. Do remove as much of the liquid as possible by wet-vacuuming with a shop vacuum especially designed to pick up liquids. Mopping, sponging and blotting will also be helpful.
2. Do turn on de-humidifiers and fans in order to suction moisture from the internal atmosphere.
3. Do prop all furniture up on bricks or remove from wet areas to keep them from being damaged.
4. Do tie curtains or drapes up above the wet floor area with clips or rubber bands.
5. Do move valuables and paperwork to a safe, dry location.
6. Do remove soaked area rugs, clothing, towels, etc. from the area.
7. Do open all cupboards, cabinets and drawers so that the insides may dry.
8. Do make sure that the electricity is turned off in the room with the flooding.
9. Do open windows if it is not raining outside.
10. Do turn water off at the outside source if a broken pipe is the flooding culprit.
Your rapid action will keep this calamity from escalating even further. There are some actions that can make the problems worse. Here are a few "don'ts":
1. Don't use a regular household vacuum. Only use one specially designed for the removal of liquids.
2. Don't turn on any electrical devices while standing in the room filled with water.
3. Don't even go into flooded rooms if the electricity has not been shut off.
4. Don't try to take up wall to wall carpeting yourself if it is the kind that has been stretched and tacked down. Improper removal can cause damage which will make it unusable. Wait for a professional who is trained to salvage it.
5. Don't underestimate the need for professional remediation of the water damage. If it's not properly taken care of, a mold problem may develop and cause further unfortunate circumstances.
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