Water Damage in your home, what to do next?

4/27/2018 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO of Bath when you have Water Damage to your home or business.

Water damage is the #1 reason homeowners file a file a claim with their insurance company.  Damage from water can happen very quickly.  Water follows the path of least resistance, saturating everything in its path.  It is important to know what you as a homeowner can do to help to prevent further damage from occurring.

Many times water damage in a home is the result of an accident within the home and not weather related.  Whether it is a burst water line connected to an appliance, a bathtub overflowing, water heater overflow, or a washing machine that is malfunctioning, the most important thing to remember is to call a professional.   Let us be your advocate with your insurance company. 

Many times insurance adjusters have a backlog, and they may not be able to get to your home for a few days. We can be eyes and ears for your adjuster to let him know the extent of your loss, and we can proceed with drying out your home until he or she can arrive.  With our experience with many insurance companies, we will know most times what will be a covered loss by your insurance company.

If you do not have insurance, we will also be there to help to dry out your home and help find ways to reconstruct as affordably as possible. 

At SERVPRO of Bath it is always our goal to put our customers worries at ease.  When you make contact with our office, you will always speak to someone local that knows this business inside and out.  We will ask a variety of questions including: what type of flooring you have in your home, what the square footage is, and what areas are affected.  This allows our team to arrive promptly and ready to handle whatever disaster you are facing.  If you are planning on filing a claim with your homeowners insurance, we can help guide you through the process and deal with your insurance adjuster directly.  At SERVPRO of Bath we are a preferred vendor for many local and national insurance companies.

After calling us at SERVPRO of Bath use the guide below to minimize the damage to your home and belongings.

DO-

• Shut off the source of water if at all possible or contact a qualified person to stop the water.(city water department, plumber)
• If water has affected anything electrical, turn off the power to the affected area at the breaker box if it is safe to do so.
• Remove as much water as possible by mopping and blotting.
• Wipe excess water off of wood furniture after removing table top items.
• Place aluminum foil or wood blocks between furniture legs and flooring.
• Remove any paintings, documents, computers or any other materials that are valuable or sensitive and store them in an unaffected, dry area of the house.
• Hang curtains and/or draperies off of the floor.
• Take and furs and/or leather items to a separate dry space at room temperature.

DON’T-

• Enter rooms with standing water where electrical shock hazards may exist.
• Enter affected areas if electrical outlets, switches or any other electrical equipment has been exposed to water.
• Leave books, magazines, newspapers or any other colored items on wet flooring and/or furniture to prevent staining.
• Leave wet Oriental rugs or any rug, on a carpeted surface to prevent staining.
• Use your household vacuum cleaner to remove water.
• Use TVs or any other appliance while sitting in wet material.
• Enter rooms or turn on light fixtures in a room where the ceiling is wet or sagging from retained water.
• Wait to call our team. The longer you wait to call, the more secondary damage is occurring.