Tips for Restoring a Flood-Damaged Home

No matter how prepared you are for a flood, the results can be catastrophic. Before repairing or rebuilding, a flooded home leaves you with a mess to clean up. However, critical flood cleanup procedures can aid in minimizing damage. These recommendations will assist you in restoring your home to its pre-disaster condition.

Disconnect the Power

Prioritize safety by turning off the electricity before beginning flood damage cleaning. If your circuit breaker box is located in a flooded location, contact a local electrician or a power company for assistance.

Drain the Water

Focus on eliminating surplus water from your property if you're doing the work yourself or if you're still waiting for expert assistance. To completely remove standing water, use a wet/dry shop vacuum, an electric water transfer pump, or a sump pump. If you must stand in a wet place, wear a pair of rubber boots.

Clean Your House

Once the majority of the moisture has been extracted, begin the drying process. Open all windows and doors. Install fans to increase ventilation in your home. If your vents were exposed to floodwater, do not restart your HVAC system until a professional HVAC technician inspects and cleans the ducts.

Follow These Floor Cleaning Tips for Water Damage

Dealing with flooding floors requires physical exertion and, in many situations, sacrifice. It may be able to clean your carpet after a flood, but anything submerged for more than 24 hours or exposed to dangerous substances must be discarded. Carpeting is similar to a sponge, and mold and mildew are no laughing matter; when in doubt, dispose of it.

Scrub your tile flooring with soapy water to remove any dirt and grime. Then, sanitize the floor with 1 cup of diluted chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water. Use a dry mop to absorb any remaining moisture on the floor.

Dispose of items that cannot be salvaged

Disposing of non-salvageable items is arguably the most challenging aspect of water damage restoration. Sadly, everything that is hygienic, absorbent, or made of paper must be discarded.

• This consists of Mattresses and Pillows
• Embroidered furnishings
• Stuffed creatures
• Rugs\sBooks

As with the carpeting, if in doubt, dispose of it. Mold and mildew are detrimental to your family's health, and most items may be replaced. Even if they are not, you will overcome this obstacle. Concentrate on rebuilding your collection throughout the next years.

Remove Mold and Mildew Following Flood Damage Restoration

If the mold infestation is larger than 10 square feet, engage a professional mold removal service. For lesser spreads, it is possible to clean the growth on your own; however, if you are uncomfortable touching it, you should always contact a professional.

To avoid or eliminate mold, observe the following vital tips:

• Put on rubber boots, gloves, goggles, and an N-95 respirator mask.
• Warm water and laundry or dish soap are used to clean hard surfaces.
• Apply a thin coating of a 10 percent bleach solution over the entire area to disinfect it (one cup of bleach with one gallon of water)
• Use a sprayer or sponge to distribute the bleach solution, but avoid excessive runoff or puddles.
• Never combine bleach and ammonia; doing so produces a dangerous, toxic gas.
• Keep children and animals away from the flooded area until it has been cleaned up.
• Wash flood-contaminated garments in hot water and detergent.
• Dry thoroughly after that