Clean Up Flood Damage Safely

Flood damage is an extreme form of water damage and the majority of people are fortunate enough to live in areas where it is likely they will never be threatened by the prospect of their house being inundated by flood.

In other areas there is a real likelihood that some people will be facing annual flood damage. This may be because they live in close proximity to a river which floods after heavy rain or because naturally occurring phenomena such as hurricanes are common at certain times of the year. Those regularly flooded out would be somewhat used to the clean up process, not that it ever gets easy.

Safety Clothing For Flood Damage Clean Up

When attempting to clean up flood damage you will be handling items that are potentially contaminated with all kinds of mildew or floodwater debris. The potential for sewage to contaminate the water is very real so proper protective clothing should be worn at all times.

The proper protective clothing to use when cleaning up flood damage may include:

• Gloves
• Goggles
• Respirator
• Rubber boots

Safety Steps When Cleaning Up Flood Damage

A flooded home can be a very dangerous place to be. There are some steps that should be followed to ensure your safety.

Turn off the electricity. The electricity may already be turned off or the power to the area may have been lost, but you must also be sure that the mains power has been switched off to cut all electricity to the house.

If it is dark indoors and you need light to see by always use a flashlight. Never strike a match or use open flames in case there is gas present inside.

If you have a flooded basement along with flooding in the rest of the home, only partially remove the water in the first stages. It is likely that there will be water outside the house pushing in and removing the water from the basement could result in the pressure from outside the house becoming too great, pushing against the basement wall causing structural damage.

Fresh food, medicine and cosmetics that have come in contact with the floodwater will have to be thrown out due to the potential for contamination.

Appliances that have come in contact with the water should be examined by someone who is qualified to repair electric goods to ensure they are still in working order.

It’s bad enough to have to pick through the damage that has been caused by floodwaters that have inundated the home. Make sure you don’t make the situation worse by ignoring simple safety steps while performing your flood damage restoration.

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.

Finding Disaster Restoration Companies

Disaster Restoration
Any building that has suffered structural damage from outside elements, whether natural or otherwise will require some kind of restoration work. When the disaster that has struck the home is something like flood, hurricane or other water damage the need for a disaster restoration is more urgent. Ideally there should be steps taken to begin drying out the rooms within the first 48 hours.

The quickest and safest way to get the job done is to call in disaster restoration experts.

It can be difficult to work out who is the best qualified to do the job for you, with any number of shonky operators willing to take advantage of victims of water damage. There are some qualifications that you should look for when seeking a disaster restoration contractor.

• Your insurance company will have a reliable list of contractors to choose from. Seek their help in selecting someone well qualified.
• It’s always a good idea to check out the potential contractor with the Better Business Bureau.
• Disaster restoration experts who are certified by reputable trade organizations such as the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) or RIA (Restoration Industry Association).
• Make sure the person you are hiring is insured, licensed and bonded.

The main thing that you’ve got to look for is a well organized company that will take control of the disaster restoration for you. They should be able to offer a complete plan of action including the removal and storage of any belongings that may be salvageable, dealing with the insurance company and offer alternatives on what can be saved and what can’t.

They will be required with all aspects of disaster recovery including the complete property damage restoration. In the case of a flood or major water damage there will be the need to be able to deal with water damage restoration involving the associated problems of water damage carpet cleaning, carpet repair and carpet restoration. They will also have to provide knowledge of furniture restoration such as how to deal with a water damaged couch, rug or table. As well as restoring or repairing the furniture that was damaged in the flood, your disaster restoration contractors will have to be able to perform a complete water extraction that will remove all trace of water, vital if there is to be no later problems with mold and mildew.

On the other side of the disaster scale will be a disaster involving fire. The restoration knowledge will be a little different with expertise required in smoke damage cleanup and removal, smoke damage repair and smoke odor removal.

These days with modern technology making its way well and truly into the family home, there will also be a need for a disaster restoration contractor to be able to perform a full electronics restoration. This may include a data recovery on your computer and the security system if it is integrated into the home. Not all services can provide these features so it is important to find this out first.

It will be important that the disaster restoration contractors are able to secure your premises while they are working on your home. In cases or flood or fire, it may be difficult to secure the home so the contractors should be able to provide you with a solution to deal with the problem.

Fire and water damage repair is a specialized field that requires specific attention to detail and professional knowledge. Make sure you take the necessary care in finding a disaster restoration expert who is up to the task to ensure that your misery is not extended to the cleanup.

More advice about disaster restoration companies is available at:

Fire and Water Damage Restoration Services