Water damage tips to reduce damage to your home

3/2/2016 (Permalink)

Kitchen ceiling with sagging from water damage

A water damage can be devastatingly stressful to a homeowner. You can feel helpless and overwhelmed. Although calling a professional is the first step we always recommend, there are some things you can do to help reduce the damage while you wait for professionals to arrive.

DO:

• Shut off the water source if possible
• Turn off circuit breakers for wet areas of the home or building
• Remove as much excess water as possible by mopping or blotting with towels
• Remove lamps and other tabletop items and wipe wood furniture with a towel
• Remove and prop up wet upholstery cushions for even drying
• Place foil or wood blocks between furniture legs and wet flooring
• Remove any paintings, electronics or anything else that is sensitive to moisture and put in a dry area of the house

Taking the above steps can really help decrease the amount of damage to your home after a water leak. There are also a few practices that you should avoid after a water damage, because they can cause more damage or harm to yourself or your family.

DON’T:

• Enter rooms with standing water where electric shock hazard may exist, such as when electric outlets, switches or circuit breakers are exposed to water 
• Leave books, newspapers or other colored items on wet carpet or furniture
• Leave wet oriental rugs or other colored rugs on carpeting
• Use household vacuum cleaner to remove water because risk of electric shock
• Use TV’s or other electrical appliances while standing on wet floor
• Turn on ceiling fan in rooms where the ceiling is wet
• Enter a room where ceiling is wet and sagging
• Spread contaminated water by walking unnecessarily throughout the house
• Use personal fans if the water in the home is contaminated

The most important “do” is to call a professional, trained water mitigation specialist such as SERVPRO of Murrieta at (951)894-4392.