How To Start Recovering After the Flood
By Richard Barthallo
It is an overwhelming and shocking experience to arrive home and realize your house has been flooded. This unfortunate event will not ever be forgotten. The devastation caused by flooding can take weeks and thousands of dollars to repair. Just a small amount of water standing in your house for a few days can wreak havoc. Take a deep breath and face this tragedy head on.
The amount of damage a home suffers because of a flood will completely depend on how deep the water was in the home and how long it was present. The less deep the water and the sooner the water has receded, the less damage you will have. Whether or not you will have to hire a professional restorer will depend on how much damage there is.
Before you enter your flooded home wait until all the water has receded. Make sure there is no electricity on in the home and that there are no gas leaks. If you do not know how to check these things, call the utility company and wait for them to do this for you. If your home was flooded for weeks, you might want to have it inspected before you enter, because serious structural damage may have occurred and it may not be safe. If your home was flooded for 5 days or more, the probability of mold growth is almost certain. You should wear protective clothing and a breathing mask to prevent breathing in dangerous mold spores or other air born bacteria when you are in your house.
The first thing you should do when you enter your home is to see what is salvageable and remove these items as quickly as possible. Things such as pictures and items stored high up in cupboards may not be damaged. Just remember that anything salvageable should be cleaned after it has been removed. There are other things that will be ruined and have to be discarded completely.
Once you decide how many of your belongings will have to be thrown away, you will need to get them out and dispose of them. Although, piling discarded items on the ground outside is all right, it would be more efficient to get a dumpster or a truck to put it into. This will prevent you from having to pick these discards up again later.
When all furniture, appliances, electronics, and other personal items have been removed, then you can move on inspecting the floors and walls. If you only had a minor amount of water in the home for a few days or less, it may not be necessary to tear out all the carpeting and floors. Many times they can be restored without removal.
At this stage of your clean up you will probably need the advice of a qualified professional to advise you about what your individual situation calls for next. It will be imperative to have your home dried out quickly. Then, it should be inspected for mold and any problems that arise due to mold should be dealt with promptly. Any salvageable carpets and flooring should be cleaned and dried. Before long, your house will be livable again and you can start the healing process after suffering the shock of a flooded home.
About the author
Richard Barthallo's experience with his 3 kids has made him a legend in handling common/difficult spills and water damage disasters. Richard Barthallo is a expert on Birmingham water damage restoration and has been called in to consult on many mold and mildew infestations. from http://www.FreeArticlesAndContent.com
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