What you can do until a professional arrives
Safety should be number one when dealing with water damage in a home or business. Here are some reminders until a professional gets there:
- Is house or business safe to stay in?
- Electrical Hazards.
- Slips and Trips due to wet conditions.
- Only perform things that are safe to do.
- Wet materials attract water and become heavy.
- When in doubt, don’t do it!
Things You Can Do After Water Damage
- Eliminate the source of water.
- Turn off circuit breakers to the wet area.
- Avoid entering areas of possible hazard.
- Remove and secure small furniture items.
- Place protection beneath furniture.
- Hang draperies and pin up furniture skirts.
- Excess water can be removed by mopping or squeegee.
- Remove any excess water on wood furniture to prevent further damage.
- Remove and secure breakables, moisture-sensitive or high-value items (pictures, artwork, etc.).
- Colored rugs can cause staining on wet carpet and needs to be removed.
- Remove any papers, magazines, and important documents from the affected area.
Things you Can’t Do After Water Damage
- Don’t enter areas with standing water.
- Don’t leave wet fabrics, pillows, cushions, colored rugs/fabrics, etc. in affected area.
- Don’t leave books, magazines, papers, and important documents on wet carpet, floors, or surfaces.
- Don’t use any electrical appliances (TV, lamps, etc.) in affected area.
- Don’t use a regular household vacuum to remove water from the affected area.
- Don’t walk on wet surfaces any more than necessary.
- Don’t enter any room where the ceilings look like they are sagging or going to collapse.
- Don’t activate the HVAC system.
- Don’t adjust the indoor temperature.
