Experiencing standing water in Texas is not uncommon. It is easy to panic about the next steps to take when you experience water damage, no matter what the cause. The important thing to keep in mind is that you should act quickly in order to keep your family safe and to salvage your personal belongings. Mr Restore has seen many homes suffer from serious water damage because the owners did not act quick enough. Here are 6 important things you should do as soon as possible after flooding.
Floods can happen for a variety of reasons but the most common reasons are:
- Groundwater
- Falling water (precipitation)
- Home water system malfunction
The following steps of action can keep your home and family safe as well as minimize the possible damage.
- Avoid Additional Risks
Be sure your home is safe to return to if the flood was serious enough for you to leave. You should not re-enter your home if it is suffering from standing water unless deemed safe by a professional. Structural damage is possible if the water was sitting for a long period of time, which is why it is important to immediately contact a restoration professional. There are a few things that indicate your home has suffered from structural water damage:
- Warping
- Loosened or cracked foundation elements
- Cracks
- Holes
It's also important to turn all water and electrical sources off inside the house. This way you won’t have to worry about electricity in standing water if the power is reactivated. Use caution when doing this and find a professional to help with electrical sources.
- Take Pictures
You need to document all of the damage with photos or a video before removing any water or making repairs for your insurance company. Digital is the better option since they can be stored electronically and are easy to send copies of. Remember, you might decrease the amount of coverage you receive if you remove water or make repairs before photographing the damage. Mr Restore will document items using our project management system called Job-Dox, to help you with your insurance claim.
- Protect Your Health
The water in your home might be contaminated by sewage or household chemicals, even if it looks clear. It would be a good idea to wear hip- or waist-high waterproof boots even if the standing water does not appear that high. You should also wear rubber gloves when removing any water-damaged possessions to help avoid contaminants. Use caution and contact MrRestore to help you with this part.
- Call Your Insurance Company
After you’ve contacted MrRestore you should notify your insurance company as soon as possible. It might be a good idea to keep your insurer’s and local agent's phone numbers in your emergency bag. If a flood is the cause of the standing water, it can affect an entire community or region. If that’s the case, your agent could be busy with dealing his or her own flooding. Contact your insurance company's headquarters if this happens. Document all damage and conversations in every part of the process.
- Remove Water
Mr Restore will assess the situation and remove the standing water. Our team will also ensure other areas where moisture is present to remove the possibility of further damage. This is a vital step, it is best to leave it to the professionals!
6. Secure the Property
Once Mr Restore has finished restoring your property, the last thing you should do is ensure standing water does not occur again. It's your responsibility, as the homeowner, to secure your property so that no other damages occur. MrRestore will take care of this for you by putting boards over any broken windows and securing a tarp on the roof as protection if it has been damaged. We will send the photographs as proof to the insurance company that you did everything you could to protect your home.