A flood is one of the worst things that can happen to a home. If the flood is severe enough, you can have long lasting damage to your home, on top of needing to replace all sorts of furniture and appliances. If your home has recently been hit by a flood, you may be wondering what you should do next. There is a lot that you need to do in order to restore your home back to the way it was, and it can seem like a daunting task. Here is a list of steps you should take after your home floods, to help you make the task a little more manageable.
Talk to your Insurance Company
The first thing you should do is see how much of the damage you are going to be responsible for. Depending on the type of insurance that you have for your home, you may be responsible for some of the costs, all of the costs, or it will all be completely covered. Knowing your insurance plan, and how much out-of-pocket expenses you are going to have will allow you to plan your next steps in more detail.
Get major repair work done
Next, you will want to start formulating a plan for any large damage that will need to be fixed. Did a pipe burst? Was the foundation weakened? Did some of your walls rot through? Does the floor need to be replaced? These are the type of jobs that are going to cost the most to fix, and usually need to be fixed right away. Assess the damage, and see what parts of your home were hit the hardest. Then start making phone calls to local repair companies, and schedule a visit with a water damage repair company as soon as you can.
Check for Mold
While inspecting your home for damage, you should also be on the lookout for mold. Mold grows when things like wood and fabric become wet for too long of a period. This can happen if the air in your home is too humid, and especially after a flood. If left untreated, mold can become hazardous to the health of anyone living in your home. Inspect anything that became wet during the flood – including furniture, the floors, walls and any other fabrics – to see if mold is growing. Keep checking every day until the spots are dry, and even then make a new check every once in a while just to be sure.
Prioritize replacements
Once any major construction work that needs to be completed is finished, you can begin getting your home back in order. Things like appliances and furniture may have been damaged in the flood, so you will want to prioritize which of these items to replace first. For example, if your finished basement flooded, then you will probably want to replace things like the TV and couch first, rather than the surround-sound speakers and the mini-fridge. Remember that you don’t have to replace everything at once, and can steadily get your house back in order over time.
Take the opportunity to redecorate
While a flooding home is certainly no picnic, there can be a silver lining. If you have been planning on redecorating that room anyway, nature just gave you a blank slate. Now is the perfect time to redesign that room the way you have been wanting, including a new coat of paint, new furniture, and new flooring. Money from the insurance claim can even help finance some of this redecorating, meaning it won’t be as hard on your wallet compared to doing it before the flood. So if your home floods, try to look on the bright side and seize the opportunity to redecorate.
Prevent further floods
Lastly, once your home is back together, you will want to take any steps possible to keep this from happening. Steps could include installing a sump pump in your home, landscaping your yard to redirect water away from your home, or installing new drains outside. You may live in a flood-prone area, and if so there won’t be a lot that you can do to protect your home. You will need to examine the area you live in, and your home, in order to decide what steps should be taken to prevent flooding. Here is a list of suggestions that may help.
Go one step at a time
A flooded home is a disaster, and the clean-up required from it can seem daunting. But if you can follow the steps above, and take things one at a time, the job will become a little easier. Just remember to go slow, examine each of your options carefully, and decide which actions will be best for your home going forward. Good luck!
Article Submitted By Community Writer
