Water Damage Emergency Tips
Untreated water damage may cause floors to buckle, wall damage, content damage, and allow mold and bacteria to grow. The harmful effect of water is sharply reduced by an immediate response upon discovery. A delay of even 48 hours can result in significantly more damage. The following list will assist you in taking proper action until professionals from All-Pro Services, Inc. arrive.
Water Damage Do's
- Identify the source of the incoming water and, if possible, stop it or call a professional to handle it.
- Remove as much excess water as possible by mopping and blotting with clean white towels.
- Use humidifiers if the outside temperature is over 60 degrees.
- If the weather is cool, leave the heat on. If weather is warm, use the air conditioner (on it’s "dehumidify" setting if possible).
- Use fans to speed drying. You want to circulate the air.
- Dry furniture with an absorbent cloth.
- Get draperies up, away from the moisture. Look them through a coat hanger and hang them, doubled up, from the drapery rod.
- For drying (and even drying) let air circulate around all sides of wet furniture cushions. Prop them up or remove them to a dry area.
- Put furniture on small blocks of wood or aluminum foil, to keep water from traveling up and into the legs.
- Take wet area rugs and other wet floor coverings out to dry. For permanently installed coverings (such as wall-to-wall carpet or vinyl flooring that water may have seeped under), you first may want to consult a professional (see "Don’ts," below).
- Open or remove anything enclosed that may be wet or be restricting the flow of air. Such as closet doors, furniture drawers, and luggage.
- Get paintings, photos, and art objects to a location that’s safe and dry.
- Remove wet fabrics. Dry them as soon as you can. Furs and leather goods should be hung to dry. Keep them separate and at room temperature.
- Damp books should be taken from shelves. Spread them out to dry. In case of valuable books, consult a specialty drying professional.
- Turn off all electrical appliances in and around the area affected by water to reduce electrical hazards.
- Remove books, shoes, paper goods, fabrics, potted plants or other items which may stain carpet. (check especially under beds and in closets).
- Wipe as much excess water from wood furniture after removal of lamps and table-top items.
- Place aluminum foil, china saucers or wood blocks between furniture legs and wet carpeting.
Water Damage Don'ts
- Don’t remove water with an ordinary household vacuum. It can be dangerous, ineffective and damages the vacuum.
- While standing on wet carpet or floors, don’t use electrical appliances
- If electricity is still on, don’t enter rooms where there is standing water. It could carry a shock.
- Get professional help if you need to lift tacked-down wall-to-wall carpet. If done incorrectly, the carpet may shrink.
- Do not turn on ceiling fixtures if the ceiling is wet and stay away from sagging ceilings.
- Do not rip up the carpet and pad. This could cause permanent damage to the materials.
- Do not attempt to dry carpeting with an electrical heater. It will only dry the surface and not dry the pad.
- Do not turn up the heat above 68 degrees, as this will help cause mold to become active.
- Do not walk on wet carpet more than necessary in order to keep from spreading damage.
- Do not activate the HVAC system if it has been directly contacted by water, or might serve as a means of spreading contamination.
- Do not turn off power if the circuit box is wet. Call the Power company to turn it off instead!
- Do not use TV’s or other appliances while standing on wet carpets or floors, especially not on wet concrete floors.
- Do not leave wet fabrics in place; dry as soon as possible; Hang furs and leather goods to dry separately at room temperature.
- Do not leave books, magazines or other colored items on wet carpets or floors.
- Do not place newspaper in the traffic areas, becausenewspaper ink transfers easily.
