Flood Restoration Tasks

By necessity a flood restoration is going to be a long process simply for the time it will take to dry everything out. For this reason it is important to be organized through the entire restoration process so that the job continues to move forward and not be allowed to get caught up in unnecessary delays.

There are some basic tips that you should follow immediately following a flood. These are the sorts of things you can take care of before help arrives.

• Identify where the water is coming from and, if possible, stop it.
  
• If you can, reduce the heat inside the property to below 65 degrees to reduce the possibility of mold or mildew from taking hold.
  
• Make sure all of the electrical appliances in the home are switched off.
  
• Get as much of the furniture as you can up out of the water.
  
• Remove as much of the water from the property as you can.
  
• Remove all objects off the floor, including rugs and carpets if possible.
  
• Stay clear of sagging ceilings because there is a risk it will collapse.

A house that has suffered a flood will take some time to get back in order. The job should be left to the flood water restoration experts, although the tasks laid out above should help get them off to a fast start.

A big problem with cleaning up after a flood is that the flood water may have contained toxic chemicals and so there are very real health risks involved with working in the aftermath. What may be dealt with here is gray water or sewage. The flood restoration professionals will not enter the site unless wearing proper protective clothing such as overalls, breathing apparatus and gloves. You should be taking the same precautions.

Although you may have begun the process of water removal, your flood restoration expert will start their work by removing the remainder of the water. This is a vital first step because the sooner that task is completed the less chance toxic mold will have to grow. Industrial wet vacuums, whole house dehumidifiers and drying chemicals are all part of the water restoration professional’s arsenal. Opening all the doors and windows to let fresh air in won’t hurt either.

It will be necessary to remove all valuables and personal objects from the home so that they can either be stored or restored. You clothing will also have to be removed and cleaned because there is little chance that it will have gotten through the incident without getting damp. Where there is dampness, mildew is likely to follow.

The types of things you can expect to get done by a flood water restoration expert includes:

• Emergency water removal
• Drying of structural materials such as supports, beams, walls, cavities, ceilings and floors.
• Cleaning and sealing contaminated ducting.
• Mold remediation.
• Carpet removal, restoration and reinstallation.
• Upholstery and fabric restoration.
• Odor removal if necessary.
• They should also be able to identify and prevent further problems that may not be immediately apparent.

Your job as the homeowner is to oversee the entire restoration project and ensure that the water restoration carries on without any pause or delay. It is in your best interests to get the job done as quickly as possible so that you can get your life back to normal. If there are delays in the drying stage then you may be in for even greater damage than there would otherwise have been.