When water floods into your home and over your carpet it can be stressful and upsetting and at a time like this, you may not know how to deal with the problem. Whether your carpets are beneath an inch of water or a foot, the damage has already been done and if it’s not dealt with quickly then the after effects can cause further damage to your home and your family’s health.
Why you need a 24-hour response team
The flooding comes from various areas including burst pipes, overflowing baths and torrential rain but whatever its source it always leaves behind the same problems – moisture, damage to property, and potential for mould to grow. While the first thing on your mind during a flood is how to stop the water, the next should be where to find someone who can help clean it up and fast.
In any floodwater situation, the key is speed and thoroughness in order to reduce the level of damage and to avoid potential mould growth. Did you know that mould can grow in flooded areas within 24-48 hours? If your things have become thoroughly soaked you may want to get rid of them and start again. However, it may still be possible to salvage carpets that have been wet for less than 48 hours, but we won’t know for sure until we have seen the extent of the damage.
While waiting for your emergency response team to arrive here are some things you can be doing
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Protect yourself – The water running through your home could be contaminated so protect yourself by wearing wellington boots, waterproof clothing, and rubber gloves
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Turn off your electricity – Turn off the electricity supply to the affected area but do so with caution. Do not stand directly in the water when turning it off. Stand on a piece of wood or something plastic and use a plastic pole or dry piece of wood to turn the switch off.
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If you can, stop the water – Turn off your water supply completely if pipes have burst, use towels to prevent water seeping in or buckets to catch water. Do all you can to prevent more water from penetrating your home.
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Document the damage – Before doing any cleanup tasks take a video or photos of the damage indicating the height of the water and the extent of water soaked possessions. Make sure you document this evidence for your insurers.
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Call your insurance company – If you already know that there is extensive damage to your home and possessions and clean up costs are likely to be high, call your insurance company straight away to ascertain your coverage, find out what information they need from you, and to inform them of the immediate repairs necessary during the 24 hour clean-up period.
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Ventilate the area – Provided you won’t be getting more water in, fling open any doors and windows in the flooded area to allow fresh air to circulate.
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Move items – Move any valuables or furniture to the sides or end of the room and take any soaked items out the water.
Choose Carpet Cleaning Kings – 24-hour emergency water damage restoration service
Our first priority is your safety. As a 24-hour emergency flood water response team our job is to extract the water thoroughly and quickly, dry things out, and leave your home clean, dry and germ-free. If you’re unfortunate to suffer a flood call us at any time of the day or night on 1300 7000 75 and we’ll be with you as quickly as we can.
