Water Damage? Emergency Steps To Take & Safety Precautions

home in water

Every day, Lightning Restoration receives calls for water damage in homes and commercial properties. As a professional restoration company, we pride ourselves on an immediate response to those properties, 24 hours per day, 365 days a year. It can be 2 in the afternoon, or 10am on Christmas morning. We will be there when you need us.

Some of our customers like to be proactive, while we are in route to their property. We often get the question, “What can I do while you are on your way?” The number one rule, is never do anything that you are not comfortable with or that will put you or the people around you in danger. Outside of that, here are a few quick tips:

TURN OFF THE WATER:

Know your home and its systems. Purchase a water meter key from your local home improvement store, if you have an in-ground meter. They are around $10. Some homes have a second valve, next to the outside hose faucet on the house. Check to see what you have and be familiar with how to turn off the water in your home. If a water loss happens, immediately turn that off.

PROTECT YOUR FURNITURE:

If there is standing water, tear off small sheets of foil or plastic food wrap. Slide this under the legs of furniture, to protect them from absorbing the water and doing permanent damage. This will not only prevent damage to the furniture, but to the flooring as well. Dye can run off wood furniture into carpet, and permanently change the color of carpet in that spot. There is no way to remove a dye transfer.

SOAK UP EXCESS WATER:

If you have some towels, that you don’t mind putting on the floor, place them on the standing water to soak up the extra. A household shop vacuum would be even better. Water will continue to travel, until it is forcibly extracted.

USE LOCAL WEATHER TO HELP START DRYING:

If the temperatures are cool outside (short period of the year here in Florida), and it is not raining, open the doors and windows. This will significantly drop the humidity levels in the property and allow us to get a good jump on the drying process.

ABOVE ALL, USE CAUTION:

BE CAREFUL OF ELECTRICAL ITEMS:

Do not plug anything into a wall that may have absorbed water. Do not turn on any lights, ceiling fans or anything else that have water running out of them.

BE CAREFUL OF SLIP HAZARDS:

Most injuries surrounding water damage losses are from slips and falls. Be aware that any hard surface will be much more slippery when wet.

Remember, when it comes to mold & water damage, it costs nothing for Lightning Restoration to come out and evaluate your property for possible damage.

Mold: Who Is At Risk? Lightning Restoration Can Sanitize Your Home or Business