Is Your Home Feeling Waterlogged? Useful Ways To Deal With The Damage

Water damage is more than just an expensive nuisance for homeowners. When you face water damage, you also face negative impacts on your health and damaged personal belongings. Fortunately, there are ways to relieve yourself of the effects of a waterlogged home.

Assess the Damages

In order to restore your flooded home, you need to assess the damages. If you attempt to dive in without inspecting the damage first, you could find yourself too stressed to deal with the mess. Canadian are all too familiar with water damage. One out of every three Canadian cities receives 39-inches of rain a year, with Abbotsford, British Columbia topping the list at five feet of rain per year.

Rather than letting a rainy day get the best of you and your home, call a professional to help you assess the damages. A waterlogged home can develop mold, which can have serious consequences on your health. A professional will check for signs of mold and permanent damage so you have a better understanding of how to approach the cleaning process.

Drying out the Fabrics

The fabrics in your home will maintain moisture, especially if there is not enough air circulating through your home to help them dry. Fabrics include:

• Clothing
• Furniture (couches, chairs, mattresses)
• Rugs
• Carpets
• Drapes
• Stuffed animals

Start by moving your items outside so they can dry out in the sun. Have someone help you lift heavy objects such as couches and mattresses. Lay area rugs out flat or hang them from a clothesline to allow them to dry. Purchase or rent large industrial fans and set them up throughout your home to dry carpeted rooms.

Make sure you place fans on pallets, so they are not resting on the wet floor. You run the risk of electrical shock if you place the fans on the floor. Keep the fans out of contact with any water and angle them downward so you can ensure your carpets can dry.

Head to the Laundromat

If most of your clothing items and shoes have water damage, you are likely looking at a lot of laundry. Since your home has water damage, it is best to steer clear until you know there is no risk of mold damage, so head to the laundromat rather than your laundry room. Laundromats have large industrial sized washers and dryers, enabling you to wash and dry your clothes in bulk.

If you have any materials that require the attention of a professional cleaner, take them in immediately. You run the risk of permanent damage to clothing that requires dry cleaning if they stay wet for too long. For most of your other clothes, you can address mold and wet smells using hot water, borax and even vinegar. In fact, vinegar is an effective agent that can kill up to 82% of known mold species.

Cleaning Wall-to-Wall Damage

Wet walls are often difficult to handle. Water can cause a significant amount of damage to your drywall. As the water seeps in, it weakens the drywall, causing it to crack and crumble. Fortunately, you can hire a professional water restoration company for assistance. Water restoration professionals have the tools and equipment necessary to dry out your waterlogged home and repair any damages.

It is especially important that you call a water restoration professional if you suspect mold growth caused by water damage in your home. Mold can cause severe respiratory illness, which poses a serious risk to people who have breathing problems such as asthma. Mold is also a danger to young children and elderly people. Contact a professional near you such as ServiceMaster Of Edmonton Disaster Restoration  and rid yourself of the weight of your waterlogged home.