Spokane Flood Damage - Dealing with Flood Damage Repair and Cleanup

1/26/2016 (Permalink)

No one wants to have to deal with a flood.

Unfortunately, freezing pipes and heavy snowstorms lead to a lot of flooding this time of year. If you experience a flood, it is important to know exactly what to do. Repairing and cleaning up damages will not be easy no matter what, but there are some ways to simplify the process. Here are some steps to take after a flood.

 Turn Off Water and Electricity

The first thing you want to do is to turn off the water and electricity in your home. Make sure you know where the main switch and water valve are. Standing water is extremely dangerous if it comes in contact with an electric current, so before you touch it or do anything else, make sure these components in your home are turned off.

 Assess the Damage

Once the electricity and water are turned off and you have determined it is safe to work, you need to assess the damage. Take pictures and write everything down that is ruined or needs to be repaired or replaced. Call your insurance company immediately so you know what you need to do to file a claim. An agent may need to come out to assess the damage. You don't want to clean up before they do, or you may have trouble getting repairs covered.

Remove the Water

The next step is to remove the water from the space. This may be through a reverse pump or the old fashioned bucket line. Either way, as soon as you get the green light from the insurance company, you need to remove the water in Spokane as soon as possible. The longer it stands there the more damage it will do.

Dry Up the Space

Once the water is removed, you need to soak up and dry all the excess water from the floors, walls, furniture, and belongings. A professional flood recovery company in Spokane may need to be called in. Remove all the furniture, and place it outside or in the garage where it can air out. Throw away anything that is damaged and won?t dry. Pull up carpet if necessary and discard.

 Air it Out

 After you've removed and dried everything you can remove and dry, you need to use industrial fans to air the space out. Otherwise, Spokane mold and mildew can develop. Open windows and doors and let the fans run for a few days to clear everything out.

 Fix it Up

After the area is completely dry, you need to complete repairs. Don't do anything in which you are not professionally trained. Depending on how long the water stood, you may have some structural damage in your walls that will need to be fixed. Repaint, replace carpet and fix everything that needs repairs. Hopefully, your insurance company will cover most of the cost.

Dealing with a flood is never pleasant, but the important thing is to keep a cool head. Remain calm and go through these steps. Before you know it, the flood will be a distant memory and your home will be back to normal.

SERVPRO of Spokane County is locally owned and operated. Water comes from everywhere and our certified technicians can clean and dry any flood better than its original state. * 24/7 Fire Damage Restoration Service * 24/7 Flood Damage & Water Damage Service * 24/7 Sewage Damage & Sewage Removal Service * 24/7 Mold Remediation *24/7 Bio-hazard Suicide Clean *24/7 Fire Window Roof Board-up.

If you would like to schedule service for your home or business, please call today!

Call us 24/7 at (509) 487-4700!