What To Do When You Discover Water Damage
Five Important Steps to Take When Flooding or Water Damage Affects a Residential or Commercial Property
When you discover water damage in your home or commercial property due to flooding, it can quickly become a paralyzing moment filled with anxiety. By following these simple steps, though, homeowners can react in an informed manner and contact the necessary water damage restoration professionals to assist in water damage restoration.
Step One: Protect Family Members and Valuables
The most critical first step is to ensure the safety of any family members and pets. Before reentering the property or investigating the origin of the flood, take a few essential safety precautions first.
Turn off Power Sources
Water and electricity can exacerbate home damage and cause injury to children, pets, or loved ones. Protect family members by keeping them away from flooded areas near electrical sources. If flooding has occurred, turn off circuit breakers and power sources immediately.
Wear Personal Protective Equipment
Wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as rubber boots and gloves or goggles before reentering the affected property. PPE can protect from unnecessary injury while investigating the scene and moving any salvageable furniture or valuables.
Step Two: Identify the Source
When dealing with flooding, it might not always be obvious how big the problem is or where it originates. If the scene is safe enough, try to locate the leak or flood source. Finding the source helps water damage restoration professionals most effectively address the issue. Furthermore, identifying the leak’s origin will help assess the severity of the flooding and water damage.
Step Three: Call the Insurance Company
Homeowner’s insurance may have provisions for water damage. Thus, notifying the insurance company of the incident is an essential next step. Water damage restoration can often be expensive, but insurance may cover some repair costs. As a result, promptly reporting a flooding event to the insurance provider ensures the best chance of receiving reimbursement for these services.
Step Four: Notify Your Homeowner’s Association
Frequently Homeowner Associations provide policies for flooding insurance coverage and reimbursement. As a result, it is a brilliant next step to contact the neighborhood HOA and inquire about potential flooding and water damage coverage. Keep a log of communication with the HOA, as you might need to provide proof when you file an insurance claim.
Step Five: Call a Water Damage Restoration Professional
Contacting a water damage restoration company is the final step in addressing a water damage incident. Receiving high-quality, top-rated care for a flooded property is vital.
While water removal may seem as simple as drying wet areas and extracting water, rehabilitation can be complicated and requires professional attention. Allowing professionals to address flooding issues in a property gives it the highest chance of being fully restored to pre-loss conditions.
Water Damage Restoration by DK Environmental
When water damages your home, you don’t have to deal with it alone. The experienced water damage restoration professionals at DK Environmental offer 24/7 emergency assistance and the highest quality customer service. The water damage restoration teams are equipped with industry-leading extraction and restoration tools to repair your home.
If a flood or leak has damaged your property, call DK Environmental at (425) 903-4356 for water damage restoration in Everett, WA, and the surrounding areas.