Water Damage: Things to do Before the Professionals Arrive

1/25/2018 (Permalink)

If you experience water damage Austin, there are a few things you can do before SERVPRO arrives.

You have a broken pipe or a leak in your Austin home. What do you do? Aside from panicking, you need to address the situation from the start. You need to call a plumber, but one isn’t available… you’re on your own.

Believe it or not, the smallest leak can cause major water damage Austin to your home. So, don’t panic, but be aware there are a few things that you can take care of on your own, before you reach out to water damage specialists.

Many of these quick solutions are fairly easy to tackle on your own. However, you shouldn’t don’t see them as fully solving the problem. Contact a specialist before things get out of control.

Cut Off the Water Flow to Your Austin Home

It’s often hard to determine where the source of your leak is coming from. If you have difficulty in locating the source, then shut off your water. A burst pipe may have many origins as to where the trouble stems from, so shutting off the water will help give you the ability to start with water removal Austin.

While it’s recommended that you shut off your water, you should also consider shutting down your electricity, until the source of the leak can be determined. This will help prevent any kind of electrical fire…another problem you don’t want to deal with. 

Ways to Start Drying Out Your Austin Home

So, you have water damage, but have yet to reach out to a professional water removal service. All hope is not lost as there are a few things you can do to help eliminate some of the water in your Austin home.

Your best ally in this endeavor is air. Open up all of your windows to allow fresh air in and use fans to help circulate it. If the moisture has nowhere to go, then you’ll eventually have to face musty odors, followed by the spread of mold. It’ll be a slow process to dry out your home, but the sooner you can get air in to start drying up some of the moisture, the better. Mold is nasty to deal with and you may actually miss it while cleaning. In this circumstance, you should contact a professional to help you with a mold inspection Austin, to help stop it before it spreads.

Using a Dehumidifier to Help Remove Water

A dehumidifier is a valuable tool to help remove water from your home. It basically sucks out the moisture from the air, and will help make the drying process go a bit faster. You may want to get several, depending on the amount of water you have. They’re very efficient machines and can help save you time during the cleaning process.

You’ll also have to do some additional work in removing items that may be tainted with water. Some of these may be salvageable, while others may not. Items like carpeting and furniture may be soaked, but they should be removed and brought outdoors so that they can air dry in the sun. Any other items, like small furniture and miscellaneous personal things, can usually be cleaned with mild detergent and water. These should also be taken outdoors to dry…but clean them thoroughly so that they don’t become susceptible to mold.

Vacuuming Options After Water Damage Austin

If you happen to own a wet vacuum, then you can at least get started on removing some of the water. This will help you temporarily if your carpeting, floors and furniture are soaked. Only use a wet vac under these circumstances: Never use a regular vacuum cleaner!

While it won’t be an immediate resolution, it will definitely help preventing the water from seeping into porous surfaces. Once water gets into porous materials it can begin to warp and buckle items such as wood floors, which you would most likely need to replace. Most wood floors are covered with polyurethane, but even excessive amounts of water can cause this coating to deteriorate.

While a wet vac allows you to tackle the surface, water can sink deep into these porous materials, which can then lead to mold. Even though mold may make an appearance, all hope is not lost. The good this is that there are restoration companies that can work with you to help manage your humidity and control whatever mold remediation Austin that you may need

Important Things Before The Professionals Arrive

While your first reaction is to start cleaning up the mess right away after water damage Austin, there are a few things that you shouldn’t do which can greatly affect your safety.

-Don't leave any wet fabric, such as clothes, small area rugs, etc., in your Austin home. Pick them up and allow them to air dry outside. 

-The same goes for paper products such as wet newspapers, magazines and books; don't leave them on the floor. There’s a chance you may not be able to salvage them, but they should still be take outside to air dry as well.

-Do not use any electronic devices! Unplug and avoid using all electric appliances, such as radios, TVs and computers.

-Stay out of rooms that have wet floors and ceilings. If you manage to remove most of the water on your own, then let these rooms air dry allow professionals to begin full water removal Austin.

SERVPRO: How We Can Help

This is where SERVPROof East Central Austin can help. Our SERVPRO team consists of dedicated, trained & certified professionals who are available 24/7 to help with your water damage Austin needs.

We specialize in water damage removal and restoration, as well as mold remediation and removal. We will take every effort to properly restore your home or business in the aftermath of a storm, floods, leaks or whatever your particular situation.

We'll review the overall scope of your water damage repairs with an advanced water damage inspection and state of the art extraction equipment to make the restoration process go smoothly.

Our SERVPRO Team is ready and willing to help with your water restoration repairs. If you’re in need of water damage repairs and restoration, please contact our local SERVPRO company today.