A house flood might be one of the worst things any homeowner could experience. Water has a good side and a bad side, and dealing with a flood is definitely the bad side. Either way, you don’t have time to sit around and watch the problem escalate. You need to act fast. Here’s how to properly handle your house flooding.
Find the Source
Where is the water coming from? That should be the first thing on your mind. Once you find the root of the problem, you can work on a solution. Survey the room that is currently flooding. If there is no piping or water source in that room, move to another.
Find the rooms that deal with water, like the kitchen or bathroom. You may discover the issue originated somewhere else and got too big to contain. Once you find the source, restrict it to that room. You may need to shut off the water for the whole house to stop the flood.
Turn Off the Power
Water and electricity do not mix. Even if you’ve stopped the running water, the damage is already done. Therefore, you need to turn off the electricity. Cutting the power will save your electronic devices and prevent any potential electrocutions from occurring.
Don’t walk through the water to get to the fuse box. You’ll shock yourself once you attempt to cut it off. Take the long route and walk around the water. If you can’t reach the fuse box without stepping through the water, you need to call an electrician.
Start the Clean Up
Now that the most crucial parts are out of the way, you need to start the cleanup. The flooding probably damaged a lot of items. Separate things into piles—determine what is salvageable and what’s not.
Some things will quickly get moldy, so don’t keep them. Cleaning up also means getting rid of the old piping. Some old plumbing fixtures are recyclable, so make sure you inspect everything to be sure.
Call the Experts
At this final step, you’ve done all you can do. There’s nothing left for you to fix and work through. Now, it’s up to the experts to get your home back in order. You can make their job a little easier by getting a high-powered vacuum to suck up most of the water.
A professional will bring tools and equipment to ensure no water is left inside your home. They will also inspect for mold dangers. If a burst pipe caused the flood, there is a chance you can fix it yourself, but remember that plumbing is a tricky job.
If your house ever deals with a flood, you won’t need to freak out too much because you know how to handle it properly.