Water damage can be one of the worst things that can happen to your home. Especially, in a city like Indianapolis, which is particularly prone to flooding and other such risks.
Water damage can have numerous causes including water leaks, burst pipes, faulty appliances, and sewage problems.
But no matter what’s the cause, you need to take quick action to address it within 24 – 48 hours, or else it can turn into a more significant one (such as mold growth).
Although water damage is better left to professionals, you can still take some actions if it’s minor. Here is how to repair water damage in your home.
6 Steps To Repair Water Damage
Step 1: Find And Stop The Water Source
Before you start to repair water damage in your home, you have to find and know its cause. Check where the water is coming from.
A leaking pipe, a refrigerator water line, an overflow from the tap, a leak in your ceiling, and a fault in the washing machine or dryer are some common causes of water damage.
Whatever the source, you need to stop it as soon as possible to prevent it from causing more damage.
Step 2: Protect Your Home
Once you have taken action to stop the water source, the next step is to protect your valuables. Save as much of the important stuff as you can. That includes shifting the items to an unaffected room or into the house of a neighbor or a friend.
Make sure that you have disconnected the power supply to your home. If the water comes in contact with electricity, it can become a disaster.
Step 3: Call The Insurance Company
Before you begin to repair water damage, make sure you have claimed the home insurance and taken note of all the damaged areas along with pictures.
Step 4: Remove Standing Water
Wear rubber boots and gloves before you start.
Unless it is gray or black water, you can start removing the excess water from your home with buckets to take out as much as you can. Use a mop to wipe out wet areas after the water has been sucked up.
Meanwhile, throw out any irreparable items from your home, as they can cause further damage if kept inside. Follow the EPA guidelines to handle different water-damaged materials and the actions to take.
However, if the standing water is unmanageable or if it is black or gray water, you should not try to do it yourself and call our White Hat Restoration pros in Indianapolis.
They use high-power extraction tools to remove the standing water faster and more efficiently.
Step 5: Thorough Drying
After all the water has been removed, vacate your rooms to allow them to fully dry. Open the windows and door to let the house ventilate. Place fans and dehumidifiers across your rooms to dry your home thoroughly.
This step is crucial as any moisture left can quickly result in mold growth.
Step 6: Clean, Disinfect, And Deodorize
Now it’s time to clean the affected areas to restore them. Clean and disinfect your floors, upholstery, carpets, and all other objects that seem reparable. That will remove the contaminants and any bad odors from your home.
If the home is heavily damaged, we suggest asking a water mitigation team to help you out.
Calling Pros For Water Damage Repair
As discussed earlier, water damage has different extents. If the damage is minor and easy to handle, the above steps to repair water damage can be handy.
However, if the home or a part of your home is severely damaged and if the water is highly contaminated (gray or black water damage), you should call a professional water damage restoration company.
If you attempt to do it by yourself, in this case, it can not only take you too much time, increasing the damage by that time but also put your health at stake due to improper measures.
Lastly, whatever the case, fast action is the key to a handle water damage repair.
