Do's and Don'ts of Clean Water Damage

1/3/2020 (Permalink)

A flooded living room

When you have a water damage in your home caused by clean water (such as a broken pipe or ice maker line), what should you do first? Grab a mop or a wet vacuum? Start tearing out wet carpet and walls? Some homeowners panic, and get very aggressive in removing wet materials. However, many of these wet materials can be dried out and saved, if handled by a professional mitigation company. Here is a list of Do’s and Don’ts, should you find that you have water damage (from a clean source) in your home:

Do:

• Shut off the source of water if possible, or contact a qualified plumber to stop the water source.
• Turn off circuit breakers from wet areas of the building, if the power distribution panel can safely be accessed.
• Remove as much excess water as possible by mopping and blotting.
• Wipe excess water from wood furniture after removing lamps and tabletop items.
• Remove and prop up wet upholstery cushions to promote even drying.
• Place aluminum foil or wood blocks between furniture legs and wet carpeting.
• Remove to a safe, dry place any paintings, art objects, computers, documents and other materials that are valuable or sensitive to moisture.
• Use wooden clothespins to keep furniture skirting off of damp floors.
• Hang draperies with coated hangers to avoid contact with wet carpeting or floors.
• Hang furs and leather goods to dry separately at room temperature.

Don’t:

• Enter rooms with standing water where electrical shock hazards may exist.
• Enter affected areas if electrical outlets switches, circuit breakers or electrical equipment are exposed to water. Always avoid electrical shock hazards.
• Leave books, newspapers, magazines, or other colored items on wet carpets or floors to cause staining.
• Leave Oriental rugs or other colored rugs on wet wall-to-wall carpets, which can cause staining.
• Use your household vacuum cleaner to remove water, possibly causing electrical shock or damage to the vacuum cleaner.
• Use TVs or other appliances while standing on wet carpets or floors, especially not on wet concrete floors.
• Turn on ceiling fixtures if ceiling is wet or enter rooms where ceilings are sagging from retained water.

Contact the professional, certified technicians at SERVPRO of Casper for rapid response to your water damage issues, day or night.