After The Flood – Important Restoration And Clean-up Steps You Should Follow
Most homeowners don’t realise that getting a flooded-out home is an increasingly claim for common insurance losses. That’s because there are so many causes of a flood and they can be so damaging to your home and its contents. Floods can come broken water pipes, sewer pipes, plugged gutters, and downspouts are more common reasons. But increasingly in Auckland flood restoration is because of heavy storms, and downpours. When you do get a flood, time is of the essence, you shouldn’t wait around until morning to get the cleanup started, and you really need to get your homeowners insurance company involved if you have coverage. Here are some tips on what you should do immediately after you’ve been flooded.
Get The Source Of The Water Stopped
If you have a broken downspout or plugged up gutter, get it fixed immediately and stop the inflow of water. Same goes if it’s coming from a broken fresh water pipe, plugged sewer pipe, or any other source. If it is a flood, then look for sandbags to create a wall to stem the flooding into your home. Get professional help if needed, but get the water turned off no matter the source.
Then, it’s incredibly important to pump out the water that’s in your home. Don’t wait until morning to get started, do it now. There are lots of reasons but the longer the water sits in your home the deeper it seeps into the floors, walls, insulation, carpets, padding, furniture, and belongings. Some things can take a little water and be OK, but the longer they stay wet, the more likely they are to be ruined.
After The Main Portion Of The Water Has Been Pumped Out
This is where you will really start to appreciate the value of an Auckland flood restoration company that has a trained team, all the tools and expertise to get the job done. Once the water is removed, there will still be residual water in everything. It will have to be vacuumed out with commercial water extractors until there is not a visible drop left. This will take time, but it’s important.
If the water has seeped into drywall covered walls, they may have to be cut open so that the water and any insulation inside can be cleaned. Carpets and pads will have to be vacuumed first, then lifted up from the floor so that huge blowers can be inserted underneath to finish drying them. It will take a half dozen blowers running for hours to sufficiently dry a soaked pad and carpet. Failure to do so, could result in mold or mildew settling in to completely ruin a carpet and pad. And, while some molds cause allergies, others can be hazardous to your health.
Another consideration on newer construction is the sub-flooring that is sometimes made from particle board. This wood product can only take getting wet for a very short time and then it breaks down and is ruined. It will then have to be completely replaced with new, making your restoration project very expensive.
Most flood restoration companies would now place giant high-volume fans in all of the windows of the home to finish drying everything out. It can’t be stressed enough that every last tiny drop has to be gone because for every drop you see, there are thousands hidden under the floor, in the upholstery, inside the walls, everywhere.
Auckland Flood Restoration Company
Once you’ve been through a flood, you’ll realise what a huge job the cleanup is going to be. It has to be done right or persistent problems with mould will develop. Most insurance companies will cover the cost of cleanup if the cause is a sudden break or plug in a pipe, gutter, or downspout. For those causes you’ll need special flood insurance. Talk to your agent, it’s important. If all of this sounds like a lot of work with lots of people and equipment, you’re right. That’s why you should have the number of a local, 24-hour, Auckland flood restoration company on your speed dial or next to your phone.
One experienced Auckland flood restoration company is Go Green Carpet Cleaning. You can call them on 0800 398722.