Procedures For Restoration And Cleaning Of A Water Damaged Home

It is really more logical and practical to hire the services of a professional restoration company to do the dirty work on a flooded home but there are homeowners who, for one reason or another, prefer to do the restoration and cleaning themselves. If you prefer to remove the water from your home and do water damage restoration on your own, then just follow these procedures so that you can do the restoration and cleaning the right and safe way.

You should first check the whole house for any serious damages to the structure. If a wall or any part of the home seems to be on the verge of caving in or breaking apart then you really should hire the services of a professional company for the restoration and cleaning. If there is no damage that poses any hazard, you may proceed with the work.

Turn off the main electricity switch to your home. Water that is exposed to plugs and switches will serve as a strong electric conductor and may cause you to become electrocuted. For your safety, use only gasoline powered equipment. Turn off all the gas sources inside your home and if you smell gas inside the basement, abort the restoration and cleaning and let a professional company do the job.

To quicken the drying process of your home, make sure that all doors and windows are open. Cross ventilation is important not just for drying the home but also for defusing the bad smell in your home and the harmful gases that may be in the air.

When removing the flood water from your home make sure that the sump pump is outside to prevent carbon monoxide from filling up your home and causing carbon monoxide poisoning. If the flood water is in your basement and is really high, do not remove all the water right away. Remove only two to three feet of water each day. This means the whole water removal process will take several days but at least you are sure your walls won't cave in from the water pressure outside your home. Each day before working on water removal, check if there are any growing cracks on the wall. You should also mark the wall where the new water level is each day so that when you come back to remove water the following day you know that water is no longer seeping into your home or basement.

If the water problem in your home was caused by other sources aside from rain water, then make sure you resolve the problem before you start cleaning up the house. Fix busted pipes, clear clogged drains, and simply fix the water problem that is causing your home to become flooded.

After all the water in the home has been removed, you should wash all the surfaces that came in contact with the water. Use a chlorine solution of one part chlorine for every four parts water or simply purchase a commercial cleaner with anti-microbial properties. Throw away anything that has been damaged severely by the flood.

If your insulation is not too porous and was not exposed to too much flood water, simply cut out a foot of wall board on the bottom of the wall and a foot near the ceiling to let the air circulate and dry out the insulation. If the walls and the floors have been gravely damaged, then you will have to call a professional company to do the restoration work.

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