Normally water damage can actually be prevented by taking care of some simple things in your home, you can routinely check for leaks in pipe connections, make sure your bathroom are in proper shape, give your water heater proper maintenance and even keep tabs on your water meter but if you live in South Florida a flood incident just might be out of your hands. We can get 60 plus inches of rain per year, and thus we come to one undeniable truth, water damage is always a possibility, since this is the case, you should inform yourselves on the ins and outs of water damage and of course the whole restoration process.
Once the initial panic subsides, start with some of the basics:
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Determine where the water came from.
- After all, what’s the point of starting to dry everything if the water is still leaking or coming in, the location with the most amount of water should give you clues as to where this is.
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Stop the leak.
- If you can shut down the water from and individual source, such as the fridge or the water heater, do it. If not, you might need to shut down the water entirely in your home, remember you can always turn it back on if you need to.
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Start the restoration process immediately.
- This basically means dry as much as the water as you can, mop it up or use towels. But please make sure it’s safe to do so.
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Get in touch with a reputable Miami water damage restoration company.
- For your own sanity research some companies today, so if the day when you need them comes, you know just who to call. Remember, the more time the water sits, the worst damage it will do to your property. For example if you find a long standing leak? Unfortunately, mold may have already developed and more than likely your insurance claim would not be covered. In this case, attempting to clean up the mold may spread the mold spores, causing greater property damage or health problems. Mold can be dangerous to your health, therefore it is important that mold testing and cleanup be conducted by professionals as soon as mold is detected.
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Call your insurance carrier.
- We find there is a lot of confusion about what types of water damage is covered under a home insurance policy. With so many home insurance mold claims being denied, home owners are left with a lot of questions when it comes to water damage to their home, always revise your policy carefully to avoid confusion in middle of a water damage crisis.
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Keep up with receipts and your time spent remediating (drying) the water damage.
- Any money or time spent on the restoration can count towards your insurance claim, so keep this in mind at all times during this whole process.
Once these basic steps are taken care of, you will be well on your way to having an almost painless water damage repair.
