Have you ever looked at a broken appliance and thought to yourself "I bet that can be fixed." If so, you need to make a call to a repairs specialist. Most things can be repaired — you just have to call the right person. There are repair professionals who focus on electronics, others who focus on home components like roofs and gutters, and still others who make repairs to home appliances, exclusively. Help is a phone call away.
Even though someone else is doing the work, however, we do think it's important for you to know a bit about repairs and restoration. That's why we're providing helpful articles on this blog. Fix it to the max — we know you can!
A flood can happen at any time in your home and cause extensive damage. While you can't control the weather, there are things you can do to prevent and minimize water damage in your home. Here are tips for you to consider.
Always Search For Hidden Water
If your washer overflows or you have some other mishap with clean water, act fast to mop up the water and dry out the room. When water spills on the floor, it can roll anywhere gravity allows. Water may go behind a wall, under a floor, or under other appliances. Don't mop up visible water and think the job is done because water could be hidden somewhere and mold can grow in a matter of days.
After you've dried the area, you may want to use a moisture meter or infrared camera to check for moisture behind walls. If there is still water present or if you just want to make sure you got it all, call a water damage restoration company to check for water and dry out the room with commercial dryers if needed.
Repair Bad Plumbing Promptly
If your water heater develops a small leak or if a pipe under the sink has a slow drip, call a plumber to make repairs before the problem gets worse. A small drip can cause your cabinet to rot, and the dampness can grow mold or attract bugs. Never put off having plumbing repairs done, or the problem could get worse suddenly and cause a water emergency in your house.
Get Help Fast
If you forgot to turn off the bathtub upstairs and come home to water gushing from your living room ceiling, you should get professional help fast. A water leak that causes extensive damage to your flooring, walls, and ceiling is probably beyond your capability to repair fast enough.
Quick action is essential, or your home may be overrun with mold in a few days. A water damage restoration company can take action right away to dry your house out and then make repairs as necessary to restore the damage.
Improve Drainage Around Your Home
If water gets in around your door during a heavy rain, take a look at the slope of your property. Water should drain away from your house so you don't have to worry about heavy rain causing a flood in your home. You might need to alter landscaping or have a drain put in your yard, and the effort is worth it to keep your house dry.
Also, don't forget that water that floods your home from the outside is considered contaminated. For that reason, everything the water touched has to be sanitized. When your home is flooded due to a storm, it's often best to let a restoration company handle the cleanup effort for health and safety reasons.