Water Damage - 5 Things Not to Do

Water damage has long reaching effects on any home or business that it affects. This simple substance is what can lead to the growth and development of a number of different problems including those that can make it very hard for you to breathe. Before it becomes a problem for you, get it taken care of. If you are facing a large amount of back up in your home, or you need to get help for the mess left behind, calling a professional service may be the best route to take.

What You Can't Do

There are some things not to do when dealing with water damage. In fact, you should make your first step a call to a professional whenever possible so that you can avoid any complications down the road. These are some of the things to avoid when getting your home or business water-free.

• Do not try to use a vacuum to suck up the mess. First off, you are using electricity, which means you are at risk. Second, even if these systems were in fact supposed to remove water, such as a carpet cleaner, they cannot handle the extent of water and damage in the carpeting.

• Do not go into any room that has standing water in it if the electricity is on in the home. Call your power company to come out and turn off the electricity first. Otherwise, you will be risking electrocution.

• Do not use any electrical appliances at all when you are standing on any wet surface, including just wet towels or carpeting. This, too, can cause electrocution to occur.

• Do not go into any room where you can see that the ceiling is sagging. This is also a risk factor because that ceiling is likely to cave in without any warning to you. It is a good idea to get the water turned off and then to pry the ceiling down with a professional's help.

• Avoid trying to lift up any tacked down carpeting. If you do this, without the help of a professional, it can lead to the shrinkage of the carpeting or further ripping to it. If you plan to maintain the carpeting later, you need a professional to help you to remove it for a professional cleaning to take place.

Perhaps the most important thing to do if you are facing water damage in your home is to call a professional. You also do not want to wait too long to take care of the water damage since this can lead to further problems for you as well, including the loss of anything caught in the flooding. No matter why you have the problem, the goal is to get it cleaned up as quickly as possible to avoid any further damage to your home, to your belongings or even to your health. No matter how long ago it was, there could be mold affecting you today if you have not taken care of it.