Has your home recently suffered through a leak or flood? Take a look at our water damage recovery checklist to get on the path to restoration.
You never know when Mother Nature can wreak a little havoc. According to National Geographic, floods can cause up to more than $40 billion in damages every year.
After a flood, you have to act fast! With these seven tips, you can take the necessary steps for water damage recovery.
Then, you can get on the path to restoration and save what you can.
1. Call Your Adjuster
First things first: pick up the phone.
If you have flood insurance, call your insurance adjuster. They can advise you about any essential first steps for your claim.
This can include taking photos of the damage. Then, you can start to clean up and salvage what you can.
If any of your materials or valuables are damaged, don’t throw them away. Hold onto them so you have proof of loss.
According to this report, 6 percent of insured homes had a claim. 98.1 percent of these claims were for property damage.
By taking these steps, you can make the most of your claim.
2. Shut off the Power
Try to turn off the power as soon as possible. To do this, either call your electrical company or turn all breaker switches to off.
Make sure you’re not standing in water if you choose to adjust the breaker switches. Otherwise, you could cause a little (or big) electrical shock.
If you can’t reach your breaker, contact the electric company to help.
3. Assess the Damage
Use your phone to take photos and videos of the damage within your home.
Make sure you catch how high the water level is as well. Then, take photos of the windows, walls, structure, furniture, and any belongings. You can forward these photos to your homeowner’s insurance company, too.
You can also find a company that provides water damage restoration. That way, you can repair any valuables that aren’t entirely lost.
4. Locate all Valuables
Remove any of your valuables for safekeeping. These can include:
- Photos
- Jewelry
- Personal documents
If you need to, rent a storage facility where you can keep these sentimental possessions safe.
5. Remove Standing Water
Grab your rain boots! It’s time to remove the water causing all that trouble in your home.
Open the doors that lead into your home. Then, try to sweep the water out as best as you can. You can also hire a company to help with this part of the water damage recovery process.
6. Clean Up
Once the water is mostly gone, look around. Clean up any debris, damaged furniture, clothing, or belongings from your home.
7. Avoid Mold
With all that water, mold might be an issue. Inspect the flood damage areas for mold.
Then, either you or a professional can remove the mold (depending on how much it’s grown).
The Water Log: Your Water Damage Recovery Checklist
With this water damage recovery checklist, you can take action after a flood. Don’t feel waterlogged. Instead, these tips can help you repair the damage (before more damage is done).
Discover more tips for a wow-worthy home by exploring our latest posts.
