Water Damage? How to Prevent Additional Problems
Filed under: Water Damage
If your home or business has sustained water damage due to a plumbing accident or a storm, the last thing you want is a lengthy, costly repair that interferes with your life for weeks. You also want to ward off mold growth. It’s common after any event which causes water damage, and mold poisoning can cause serious health effects.
In order to prevent mold growth (and a more hefty repair bill in the future), take these steps to properly clean up after any water damage event:
Turn off the water source. You have to stop the influx of water before you can even begin to clean up.
Turn off the power in affected rooms. Water plus electricity equals bad news.
Move and clean furniture. If there is any furniture in the area of water damage, move it out of the way and protect it. Otherwise mildew will grow and ruin the furniture.
Remove the water. Obviously, the first thing you need to do is get rid of any standing water. Use a wet/dry shop vacuum, or just towels if the puddle is small. Make sure your shop vac uses an outside power source away from the affected area! Don’t use newspapers; the ink will run and make an even bigger mess.
Call a professional to assess the situation. Often, wet materials appear dry to the naked eye. A reputable company will perform a free moisture assessment for you. A restoration company will be able to treat the area with an antimicrobial and place air scrubbers in the home in order to make the area more sanitary.
Clean the carpets. In order to sanitize and deodorize the carpet, it must be thoroughly steam cleaned. Many people choose to have their carpets professionally cleaned. The padding underneath the carpet will usually need to be replaced after any water damage event. Contact a contractor or flooring company for a price quote on replacing the carpet pad.
Got questions or need help?
Contact Scott Peterson of Home Perfect Carpet and Tile Cleaning at (951) 303-1333.
http://www.homeperfectsocal.com