4 Things You Should Not Do After Water Damage Strikes

8/24/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO has the experience and equipment to restore your home of Water Damage.

4 Things You Shouldn't Do If Water Damage Occurs

Walking into an area in your home with flooding water from a broken pipe or backed-up sewer line can be overwhelming. As you try to prioritize all the questions running through your mind, it is important to consider how to address the damage promptly. The more you know about dealing with the problem, the better chance you have of addressing the issues quickly and efficiently, even while stressed. So, here are four things you should not do after water damage strikes your home in Oklahoma City, OK.

1. Forget to call the insurance company. Your first instinct may be to call family and friends to help with the cleanup. But the standing water in home flooded areas can wait while you take pictures for the insurance company and make initial contact with your representative. The pictures are an important piece of evidence and can help prove the claim if there are questions raised by the adjustor.

2. Attempt to restore the area alone. Water that stands against walls, floors, and appliances can do unseen damage. That is why it is important to contact a professional cleanup crew to help restore the area after a broken pipe. The trained individuals know what to look for to prevent mold, water seepage, and further damage.

3. Miss the chance to inventory damaged items. Removing wet and ruined items from the flooding water and tossing them out the door may be the first thing you want to do, but don’t do it. It is critical to your insurance claim that you either photograph each item or make an inventory list.

4. Assume water is clean. All flood water is not created equally. There are three categories of water, and each has its own cleanup procedure. The categories are clean water, grey water, and black water. By contacting a team of professionals, you can be sure to address the contaminated flood water properly.

Water damage can be extremely disconcerting. When addressing a broken pipe or overflowing appliance, knowing what you should not do can be just as important as knowing what to do.