Water Damage—The First 24

First, do not attempt to remove moisture yourself. Call emergency services and a prevention or restoration service immediately. The water in most of these circumstances can be dangerously contaminated, and river run off, sewage, animal carcasses, live and intruded upon predatory animals, shards of glass, metal or wood or disrupted weapons can all be amid the damage. Step back. Call a professional. Be safe.

Once the water has receded or if it did so before your return there are some things that you can do to prevent further damage. Lift furniture off the floor and put it up on blocks so it does not continue to soak up water and debris. Lift drapery off the floor, and remove any debris from the floor. Open the doors and windows to the home if the weather permits, and see to it that emergency services has turned off the electricity. Do not attempt this important but dangerous step on your own.

You should also take precautions both for your safety and for the sake of you insurance, whom you should have contacted immediately only secondary to emergency and water removal services. Do not remove furniture from the home, in fact, do not further disturb the damage at all. You will need documentation of the damage as it was left by the disaster. Do not attempt to use electricity for any purpose, and especially do not use any heating devices in an attempt to being to dry the property. Even outlets from a seemingly undamaged part of the home pose serious danger both to you and to your remaining possessions.

A lot of you things can be restored for less financial impact than they can be replaced, and your insurance company will want to consider the comparative costs. This is why it is important not to attempt to save anything or remove anything on your own; you may be causing further damage that will not be covered by your policy.

In an attempt to save things, victims often try to remove carpet or other flooring, furniture, or valuables, but your safety is of utmost importance, and as previously mentioned your attempts may be putting yourself in danger as well as creating irreparable damage to something that, left alone, could have been saved.