Tips To Dealing With Water Damage In Your Bradenton Home

7/22/2020 (Permalink)

From a burst pipe to a malfunctioning dishwasher or storm damage, there are countless ways water damage can happen in your home.

While water damage can be an especially common issue for homeowners to deal with, there are plenty of ways you can help protect your home.

Ways to Protect Your Home

Water damage may not seem like much of a hassle for you to deal with, but drying out and cleaning up will prove to be tedious, not to mention there is a good possibility mold will follow. Mold is a very common side effect of water damage, as mold can begin to grow and flourish within 24–48 hours of moisture exposure.

When you begin to look for ways to protect your home, it may help you to break it down by areas of impact. These areas might include the basement, kitchen, bathroom, flooring and ceilings.

Preventing water damage in the basement begins by preventing any water seepage, which can be done by resealing vulnerable areas of the basement, ensuring that water drains away from your home and installing a backwater valve.

Your kitchen and bathrooms may experience water damage resulting from plumbing issues and appliance failures.

Make sure to regularly:

Inspect all appliances for issues with hoses and faucets

Check seals and caulking around showers and tubs, ensuring they are watertight

Know where the main shut-off valve is in your home

Don’t leave the house while the washer or dishwasher is running

There are things you can do to protect the possessions in your home from water damage, but don’t be surprised if it is not always possible. Use waterproof bins to store items and keep items stored on shelves off of the floor—which is especially recommended when using your basement for storage.

Recovering From Water Damage

If your home does experience a water damage situation, you stand a good chance of salvaging anything that can be dried out within 48 hours.

Your first step should be to contact your insurance company and assess the extent of the water damage in your home as well as identify the type of water that is involved.

The types of water that are involved in water damage are:

Water from rain, condensation, leaky pipes, etc. is called “clean” water.

Slightly dirty water from dishwashers, washing machines, clean toilets, etc. is called “gray” water.

Water from sewage or serious flooding from nearby rivers, etc. is considered “black” water and this water can cause serious health problems.

Remove any wet objects from the home after a water damage disaster. Then dehumidify and dry your home out, followed by a thorough, disinfecting cleaning.

Pro tip: You can freeze wet books, photos and papers in a frost-free freezer to buy some extra time. This prevents mold and mildew from developing and causing more deterioration. Once able, you can remove them from the freezer and air-dry or fan-dry the pages.

It may seem like recovering from water damage is an overwhelming and slightly impossible task, but it doesn’t have to be.

You can call on the highly trained experts at SERVPRO of West Bradenton/Anna Maria Island (941) 792-7715, who are here to make it "Like it never even happened."