Well, here you are. Dealing with something that once only existed in your nightmares: cleaning up after water damage. If it wasn’t bad enough that your home was flooded, now you have to clean it up.
But, misery loves company, right?
And when it comes to water damage, you’re definitely not alone. According to research, 37% of homeowners in the United States say they have suffered major losses due to water damage.
To alleviate some of the stress you now have thanks to water damage, here’s some tips on how to handle the water damage that has wreaked havoc on your home.
Tip #1: Dry the Area As Soon As Possible
You don’t want to just leave the areas of your home that have been affected by water damage to dry on their own.
Once you’ve finished mopping more than you thought humanly possible, invest in some fans and a dehumidifier to dry everything out.
Tip #2: Take Photos
In order to save you major hassles with your insurance claim, take photos of the water damage. According to studies, water damage is the second most popular insurance claim filed in the U.S.
Other than that being a scary statistic, what does it mean?
Well, it means that this isn’t the first rodeo for insurance companies. They know all the ins and outs of water damage insurance claims, so you want to be sure you’ve got all bases covered.
Photos are a great way to document the damage and to provide proof that the damage is indeed as bad as you claim it to be.
Tip #3: Prioritize
We grilled Audrey Isabelle of ConsumerAffairs to get some the low-down on her top tips, and one of the first she mentioned was to prioritize. “Different kinds of materials - such as furniture, computers, floors, etc. require different treatments under very specific timetables.”
Thus, different materials need to be handled before others. For example, wood should be higher on your list of priorities than carpet.
Why?
Because wood is made up of tons of tiny little pores that can soak up water, leaving your wood warped.
Isabelle suggests you “do your research and make a list of what damages to tackle first, based on the material you’re dealing with.”
Tip #4: Don’t Get Sucked Into A Scam
Isn’t it terrible how many people are scammers in today’s world?
And scams involved in hiring professional contractors to help clean up your house after water damage definitely makes up a big piece of that.
The best way to sniff out the scammers is via insurance.
80% of contractors are highly likely to be scammers if they refuse to provide proof of insurance to you.
In other words, if a contractor says “nah” to showing you insurance proof, run for the hills — you don’t want to get yourself caught up in another mess.
Isabelle suggests “asking for names of commercial or governmental agencies that a restoration company has worked for and look for referrals.” This will be your best bet of avoiding the scams that are running rampant.
Tip #5. Call Closetbox
If it looks like the damage is pretty serious, and you’re going to need a contractor to do some work on your home that may require you to temporarily move out or clear out, give Closetbox a call.
Closetbox provides valet storage services and will come and pick up all your belongings you need to store while the contractors get your house back to tip-top shape.
The best part? Closetbox’s pickup service is free.
Yep, $0.00.
That price tag is going to look pretty darn good after you’ve seen the price tag from your contractor.
So call Closetbox to safely and securely store your precious items while the water damage is reversed in your home.
Tip #6. Prevent Mold
If the damage isn’t big enough to warrant you temporarily moving out, then you may not need a lot of help from a contractor. However, if this is the case, you want to be sure that you do not allow mold a new place to call home.
Post drying, you’ll want to apply something called Concrobium.
What the heck is that?
Concrobium is a non-toxic product that you apply to your furniture, your walls, your floors, really anything that could potentially grow mold.
You put one layer on all your things, let it dry overnight, and watch it work its magic.
Concrobium essentially crushes the roots of spores of mold, killing it before it has a chance to spread.
Pretty cool, right?
Though you’ll never feel good about your water damage, we’re hoping that after reading this you’ll feel better about having to deal with this awful thing.
And if you haven’t experienced water damage, keep this in your back pocket — you never know when disaster may strike.
