Tips for Handling Water Damage

9/14/2021 (Permalink)

Knowing how to handle a leak will minimize the water damage in your Clearfield, UT home.

A broken pipe can cause a huge water loss in a short amount of time. What you do right after it happens can determine how much damage it ends up causing. 

How to minimize leak damage

Don't Ignore Signs of Water Damage

One of the problems with a pipe break or any water loss that happens behind a wall or inside a cabinet is that you may not discover it until damage has already been done. Watch for common signs that you have a leak:

• Dark spots on walls or ceilings
• Bulging drywall
• Swollen floorboards
• Excessive humidity levels
• Unusual spraying or dripping sounds

Do Turn off Water

If you see a spot on the wall suddenly darken and spread, or you hear something inside the wall that spells trouble, the best thing you can do is turn off the water main. While inconvenient, temporarily turning off the flow for the whole house minimizes the amount of water in your home in Clearfield, UT. Once a plumber has repaired the pipe, the water can be turned back on.

Don't Wade Through Standing Water

A large water loss will often result in standing water. Fight the urge to wade into it to retrieve items, particularly if you cannot see below the surface or you don't have the proper personal protective equipment to do so. Sharp objects or tripping hazards may be present. More importantly, if the water has come into contact with electrical items, it may also be charged.

Do Contain the Flow

When a broken pipe floods your home enough to cause pooling, there are still steps you can take to keep it from spreading. Try to seal off the area as well as possible by using barriers such as rolled towels, sandbags, or tarps. You may not be able to prevent damage to the main flood area but you can block the path of the water into other spaces.

Don't Clean Contaminated Areas Yourself

A backed-up sewer or flooding from a storm can leave a big, smelly mess behind. When this happens, it can be tempting to grab the disinfectant and clean everything immediately. Unless you know the full extent of the damage, though, this may make the problem worse and affect the preliminary tests on the area when the mitigation team arrives.

Do Call Professionals Immediately

The best thing you can do when you have a flooded home is to call flood damage remediation experts as soon as you are aware of the problem. Within hours, they can come to your home, inspect it and give you an overview of what the cleanup process entails. They have the equipment and the expertise it takes to address the issues caused by the water loss and to prevent further damage.

Fast mitigation is the key to dealing with damage left by a broken pipe. The sooner you call certified professionals to repair the damage and restore the structure, the better. Start the cleanup process quickly, and your home can get back to normal in no time.