Responding to Water Damage

From broken refrigerators to broken pipes, water damage changes in origin and severity. If left to continue, water damage can hurt the stability of your home. Porous surfaces like floors and walls are prone to harboring mold and mildew after taking on water. If your property takes on water damage, call the experts from Paul Davis of Birmingham.

Before the Pros Arrive

Before a Paul Davis service master arrives, there are several measures you can do to help make the process speed up. From the floors, walls, ceiling, and your prized possessions, it’s important to act quickly to avoid water damage in your home.

Make sure your home is safe to enter before starting work. Your property becomes an unsafe place when exposed to water and electricity combined. Before walking into your home, turn off the main breaker. Even if they look undamaged, home appliances can pack a punch when touched by water.

First Things First

Water can leak into everything. Once your house is safe to enter, remove all your possessions. Paper and inked things like magazines need a level, dry surface. Small lamps, knickknacks and additional display items should also be removed. The big work begins when you’ve moved magazines and other small items.

Fans or air conditioning can circulate air throughout your house and start drying the area. Remove water from wood furniture and flat surfaces. Though you may want to try, do not use a normal home vacuum to remove water. Improper use of these tools can be dangerous to you and harm the vacuum. When you’re ready to move furniture, prop up larger pieces like heavy chairs onto wooden and cement blocks to elevate them off the wet areas.

Carpet and fabrics are quite heavy when exposed to water. The additional weight makes rugs, leather goods and fur hard to dry. So if you must move a carpet, proceed carefully. Hang draperies, clothing and other fabrics away from the soaked area to dry thoroughly. Remember that water damage can affect such items permanently, so you may not be able to save them.

In serious flooding cases, the additional water weight can affect the foundation of your home. Because of this, stay away from sinking ceilings or warped floors. Areas like these have likely taken on large amounts of water and could collapse around you.

Why You Should Call Paul

Paul Davis experts know water damage. With a little professionals arrive speeds up the restoration process. We work hard to get your home back to normal efficiently and quickly. Our specialists are experienced and have worked with all types of water damage in different kinds of residential and commercial spaces. Additionally, Paul Davis works with your insurance company to settle your claims quickly, so you can get life back to normal.