Water Damage Checklist

Water damage can wreck your life. But there are steps you can take to mitigate the damage and keep your world from spinning completely out of control.

The first thing to do is to act quickly. If you spot a water problem – a broken pipe, a broken line, a busted water heater, an overflowing toilet or sink – speed is essential. Wasted time means additional damage, which could mean a higher cost and longer return to normal.

Here is a checklist to follow you should take if you walk in and discover you’ve got puddles of water in places it’s not supposed to be.

Stop the source of the water. Shut off the valve that leads to the problem area or turn it off at the street. This will only take a minute and will stop the source of the water, giving you time to think clearly and move forward.

If necessary, turn off the electricity. If the water is near an electrical outlet, it makes sense to go to your breaker panel and shut off the power to the area that is affected. If your breaker isn’t marked, go ahead and kill the power to entire house. You don’t want to play around with electricity!

Call your First In Restoration professional. The trained professional can arrive quickly and help you understand how the cleanup and restoration process works. The technician can help keep you safe and guide you through the process of getting your problem solved, including walking alongside you with the insurance company.

Document the damage. Use you smartphone and take photos and videos of the damage. Don’t miss anything. Document everything in the rooms that have been affected, including the furniture, carpet or flooring, walls, ceilings and your personal items. Do this before you start cleaning up. The more documentation you provide, the more you will help your claim with the insurance company.

Contact your insurance provider. You need to report the damage as soon as possible. (Our First In Restoration team can help you with this process and show you how to avoid some of the traps an insurance company may set that could possibly cost you money.) Follow their instructions; they’ll explain any documents they’ll need or how to work through the process of emergency repairs.

Remove standing water and begin the drying process. After documenting the damage (that’s a key point), you’ll want to get rid of all the visible water. You can remove a lot of it by using a wet vac or an old-fashioned mop. Use cloth towels and paper towels to get up the smaller spots.

Remove wet materials that can’t be salvaged. That water-soaked carpet and padding has to go. Ditch that soaked insulation. Remove the damaged drywall or other porous materials that can’t be dried promptly. Cleaning and disinfecting affected surfaces also helps reduce mold and bacteria.

Dry out the area. First In Restoration has larger, powerful fans and heaters that can be used to properly dry out your property. In the meantime, run whatever fans you have, open the windows (if weather permits), and fire up the dehumidifiers. That will help slow the process until First In Restoration can bring in the powerful equipment that will be needed.

Make the cleanup a priority. Time is of the essence because mold can begin growing within 24-28 hours of the disaster. A hasty cleanup will reduce the chance that mold will get a foothold and cause even more damage.