3 Steps for Minimizing Water Damage

12/18/2018 (Permalink)

Flooring damaged by water loss in a Cookeville,TN kitchen

3 Steps for Minimizing Water Damage

It doesn't take long for a kitchen leak to turn into kitchen flooding. When you have unwanted water in the home and while you're waiting for water damage restoration professionals to arrive, take the following steps to minimize or prevent damage. After addressing immediate circumstances, don't forget to contact your insurance agent.

1. Maintain Safety

Determine whether it's safe for you and your family to remain in the home. Sometimes flooding water in home settings leads to slips and falls or electrical hazards. Be careful about lifting water-logged objects. Stick to repair tasks that are you know are safe; don't mess with gas supply lines or work in areas where water and electricity are both present.

2. Shut Off the Water

Most of the water-related repairs you do in your home won't require more than shutting of the indoor supply valve. However, you should also know where your main water supply is located. There should be an indoor cutoff valve beneath the fixtures in your home. For instance, if you're completing a kitchen repair, check under the sink for a knob connected to the water pipes. The shutoff switch for many appliances, such as the dishwasher, is located on the appliance itself.

3. Remove Excess Water

Mop or vacuum water (with a wet-dry shop vac) as quickly as possible to prevent water from sitting on wood or carpeted floors. Remove wet furnishings and set up as much ventilation as possible to get the area dried out. Portable items, such as rugs, fine art, couch cushions, small tables, and appliances, should be carried into a dry area to prevent further risk of damage.

Water damage restoration professionals can do a lot toward getting your home back into good condition. When you take quick action to turn off the water and clean up as much of the flooding as possible before the Cookeville, TN, professionals arrive, your home will be in even better shape.