The water retreated, and you do down to your basement or garage to assess the damage? You will definitely find some things destroyed beyond recovery, others heavily contaminated with floodwater, and realise that you may need a lot of time and effort to recover after a flood.
In this article, we shall give you 5 essential tips to help you with your after flood recovery and make the process fast and easy, minimising the costs and effort.
After flood recovery - where do you start?
"Let`s start from the very beginning. Seems like a perfect place to start!". You may not look or feel like Julie Andrews standing in the middle of a flooded basement, but understanding where should you start dealing with the floodwater and its damage will save you a great deal of time, money and effort.
We have built our DIY guide based on reviews and field experience of our customers who described what they had to deal with before adopting flood barriers into their households and businesses. Once you find yourself in a similar situation, follow the aforementioned tips and learn from other people`s mistakes.
Don`t "dive in"!
The main mistake most of us have to deal with after flood recovery is getting down to work as soon as possible, hoping to save as much of what is left from the affected things.
Unfortunately, such enthusiasm often ends up in a disaster. Before dealing with the damage itself, it is essential to think about safety and protection from the water and what it brings.
Make sure that the electricity system was not damaged, got in contact with the water or is active while you are anywhere near the flooding.
Another important thing to consider is contamination. Floodwater is full of germs, dirt and other potentially dangerous things. Ensure that you are wearing protective clothes, footwear and gloves and don`t touch the water directly or, God forbid, get it into your mouth or eyes.
Drain the water
If the flooding is more than 1 inch, it is essential to get rid of the water itself before dealing with its damage. Standing water in a garage, basement, or your living room will instantly become an incubator for insects, mould and bacteria, which will cause more damage the longer water stays in the building.
Use a water pump or water vacuum to get rid of the floodwater as soon as possible. Make sure the position the exhaustion hose of the device away from the house and preferably towards drainage that, you know for sure, is not clutter and can drive water away from your property.
Clear the damage
After the water is removed, it is time to go over the most damaged items and see which can be saved and which will have to go for good. The most commonly damaged items are carpets and floor tiling; depending on the type of water that has flooded the territory and how long it has stayed in the room, you may be able to even save the carpet if you take it outside, place it on the lawn or garden furniture and leave under the sun for several days.
However, once you feel that the damage is beyond repair and there is a risk of mould development, it is better to remove the damaged items and replace them rather than deal with consequences.
Consider drying equipment
In most cases after flood recovery implies using special drying equipment like dehumidifiers. When the area is open, it has several windows and passages, where air can ventilate easily, several fans can do the job.
However, at this point, you should understand that after flood recovery may need some significant electricity bill next month.
Don`t forget about disinfection!
Once the items are visibly clean, it does not necessarily mean that they are safe to stay in your house and be used.
Unfortunately, floodwater is one of the biggest factors for the development and spread of infections and bacteria. Some of them reveal themselves several months after the flooding.
Today you can find numerous universal disinfecting solutions for various surfaces and materials, or those specially designed for wood, stone, plastic, etc.
However, it may be a great idea to invite a professional and ask for an expert opinion about the safety of your after flood recovery before getting back to normal life.
Bonus Tip - Prevention is Better Than Treatment!
While in most cases, after flood recovery is not that hard and can easily be a DIY project, it is always better not to deal with it at all.
Getting an efficient and easy-to-use anti-flooding solution will prevent water from getting into your house and save you a great deal of time, effort and money on the after-flooding recovery.
Contact Dam Easy today and learn about our flood gates and other innovative solutions, which have already helped thousands of people worldwide minimise damage from flooding and keep peace of mind even in the face of the most destructive and unexpected flood events.
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