A Guide For Flood Damage Cleanup

Experiencing flood is so horrifying but once you have survived it, the terrible responsibility of flood damage cleanup is just as equally, if not more frustrating than the flood itself. One of the hardest parts of flood damage cleanup is getting started. Staring at all the dirt and the damage on your property brought about by the flood, you will certainly feel overwhelmed. You just know it will take every ounce of your energy and strength to straighten your home out in the next couple of days.

The first thing you must do is to call your insurance company if you have flood insurance for your home. Your agent will be able to tell you what documents you need to fill out and evidences you need to provide the company to process your insurance claim. You need to properly document all the damage to your home before you start with the flood damage cleanup. An adjuster will contact you or a claims appraiser will visit your home to inspect the damages .

Once you are certain you can have the insurance claim processed, you can start with your flood damage cleanup. Start by shoveling as much dirt as you can out of your home. Use a pressure hose or a regular garden hose to wash away as much dirt as possible. Once you have shoveled all the dirt out of your home, you will be able to see just how much damage the flood has caused your flooring or your sub-floors. Continue to document damages to your home by taking photos of the damaged floors or sub-floors. If you have wooden sub-floors make sure to remove all the top flooring to dry out the wooden sub-floors. It may take a couple of months for sub-floors to completely dry out. Do not install flooring until you are certain the sub-floors are completely dry.

For flood damage cleanup of carpets, take them out of the house and hose them. If the carpet can not be taken out, you can just dry it out using a wet vacuum cleaner. Open all the windows to your home and use a fan to let the air circulate and to dry out the carpet. Throw out carpets that have been soaked in sewage water for health reasons or have them cleaned professionally. The last thing you need after a flood damage cleanup is have a home that appears clean but with bacteria infested carpets and furniture.

Wallboards must be removed especially if they have been soaked in mud water or sewage water. If only rainwater entered your home, you can consider airing the walls out by cutting and removing up to twelve inches of the wallboards at top and the bottom of the walls. Different insulation materials must also be treated differently.

Make sure to disinfect all surfaces, even those that were not reached by flood water. You can use commercially available disinfectants or you can make your own cleaning solution using bleach and warm water. You also need to disinfect all kitchen wares. You must boil your silverware, pots and pans. You can use the bleach solution to disinfect china and dinnerware, just make sure to rinse them thoroughly.

If there is sun out, take all wet furniture and household items out to dry. Make sure you can get your things dry as soon as possible to prevent mold and mildew from developing. Severely damaged furniture that has been soaked in sewage water and may be contaminated should be cleaned by professionals. Throw out items that have been severely damaged. The most important thing is to get your home clean and disinfected for the safety of your family. Mattresses that has been soaked for more than 24 hours usually need to be thrown out or cleaned professionally. Throw out warped veneered furniture because having them cleaned and repaired can be costly and not worth it. Throw away plush dolls and other stuffed animals that have been soaked, especially those that belong to the baby.

Another important aspect of flood damage cleanup is ensuring that all electrical wiring and installations are safe. Let a licensed electrician have a look at your home's electrical installations for safety.

There are more things you need to do to complete the process of flood damage cleanup. Wash all wet clothing, bed linens, towels and other home items that are made of cloth and can be dried. Get everything dry. Check the Internet for other tips on flood damage cleanup.

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