What To Do If Your Home Floods
Flooding generally occurs one of two ways: either from the outside or from the inside. Believe it or not, leaky or busted pipes in New Jersey can cause just as much structural damage as an unexpected heavy rain or river overflow. So when disaster strikes you need to know how to quickly respond in order to control the damage and quickly restore your home.
Prepare To Respond
The first 24-48 hours of flooding in your home are the most crucial. The reason is that water is filled with bacteria and other contaminants that begin to cause deterioration to the framework and other structural items in your home right away. So the longer you wait to take action the worse the situation gets at an accelerated pace. One of the best strategies in dealing with flooding is to have a ‘pre-game’ plan already in action? Ask all the important questions. This may include have discussions with your insurance agent in advance about coverage and procedures, logging important numbers such as plumbing contractors, disaster relief companies. Being prepared speeds up the process.
Avoid Danger and Risk
If your home is severely flooded then the structural safety of your home is already compromised. All framework, flooring, walls, and other components of the home begin to weaken upon contact with the water. So remove your family from the situation and don’t go into areas where there is heavy flooding. Stay away from staircases, old floors, upper levels of your, and any area that is heavily damaged and it is apparent that the structure is weak. Although it may be tempting to try to fix the situation yourself, you could pay a high price in injury to you or your family.
Document Everything
When contacting a New Jersey plumbing company or your insurance company it’s advantageous to document everything as much as you can. Use all methods available including photos, videos, and writing information down. This will help both your plumber and your insurance company to work together in order to get the plumbing and structural repairs completed quickly so you can get back into your home. The information you provide should be thorough and accurate sticking only to the facts. Document times, dates, and places and any other pertinent information.
Restore a Healthy Environment
Since flooding causes mold, algae, bacteria, and other harmful contaminants then the health of your family becomes a major issue. If the flooding is a result of leaky pipes or damaged plumbing, then the first thing to do is secure the New Jersey plumbing system and seal the leaks. From there you will need to dry out the flood and then begin treatment and restoration of the framework of your house. Since it only takes 1-2 days for harmful mold and bacteria to infect your home, then you need to act quickly. Your family’s health is at stake during a flooding situation.
