The Do's and Don'ts of Water Damage Cleanup

2/19/2020 (Permalink)

Basement water damage in New Hope, PA

The sight of water on your floors or dripping out of the ceiling can be a nightmare. If you don't find the source of the flooding and take care of it right away, you could face extensive damage and a lot of headaches. Whether from a broken pipe, a failed water line or a backed-up sewer, you need to get the right people on the job so you can salvage your property and possessions.

What You Should Do

The last thing you want to do when there is flooding in your house is panic. Stay calm and take the right steps so you can properly mitigate the disaster. The following are the guidelines you should follow immediately after you discover water in your New Hope, PA, house:

• Get everyone out of harm's way.
• Find the source of the incoming water and stop it if possible.
• If it's safe, remove items away from and out of the water.
• Unplug electronics or turn off the main power to your home.
• Contact your insurance company.
• Contact a professional flood cleanup company.
  

Don't Get Near Black Water
If the water in a home is coming from a clean water source such as a faucet or water line, you can touch the water to move items out of the way. However, if an overflowing toilet or backed-up sewer line caused the problem, don't get near the water. It may contain hazardous waste and could be lethal.

Don't Try To Clean it Up Alone
Widespread flood cleanup is a job for the professionals. An issue such as a broken pipe could spill hundreds of gallons into your home. Professionals crews have the knowledge, skills, and training to efficiently and thoroughly remove the water, dry the area and sanitize all surface and affected items.
A broken pipe, failed roof, leaking appliance or bad weather can bring water into your house. Responding wisely and quickly will make a big difference in the cleanup effort.