Torrential rain, flooding and tornadoes. We talk of these things often when it comes to severe weather and how to prepare against it.
But what about when, despite all your best efforts, you can’t prevent a storm from wreaking havoc on your home? Or when water enters your house due to a natural disaster and causes unforeseen damage? You not only have the physical damage from the water, but you also have structural damage. Water soaks into most materials, including wood, fabrics, flooring, ceilings and walls.
For times like these, there are a few steps homeowners can take to limit water damage, prevent bigger issues and restore peace of mind. ServiceMaster DSI believes in arming you with all the tips and tools you need to stay safe in severe weather conditions, including in its aftermath. Follow this advice in the event of flooding or water damage to your home.
1. Acknowledge the Points of Pain
First, recognize that water damage due to severe weather can be devastating. It is common to lose items in your home and incur structural damage when an influx of water is present. You may feel anxious, stressed and sad to see water standing in your residence. Know that there are steps you can follow – and experts you can call -- to help you feel some sense of control again.
2. Call for Help
The longer water is allowed to sit inside your home, the more extensive the cleanup process becomes. When your home is affected by a natural disaster, acting quickly is key.
To begin, call for water damage restoration experts who are ready and able to address the damage. At ServiceMaster DSI, we know that water cleanup in the home is not easy. With our professional assistance, you can have a team assess the damage of your situation and help you better understand the cleaning process. We can also let you know of any major danger or immediate issues that need to be dealt with right away.
3. Turn Off Main Controls
When water damage and flooding occur, the gas and electric service need to be turned off. Nothing should be turned back on until the damage has been dealt with and your home has been able to dry out.
4. Salvage and Restore Your Home
Once the water is no longer coming into your home, the restoration process can begin. Standing water will need to be removed, and your belongings and structural components of the space reviewed, to ensure the home is properly treated. Our water drying process includes these steps:
Excess water removal. We use various methods to remove the excess water, including absorbing, draining, pumping and vacuuming.
Evaporation. Evaporation involves changing the liquid water to vapor. Using equipment such as air dryers helps the water to evaporate more quickly.
Dehumidification. The evaporation process leaves the air more humid, and humidity can settle into the home’s structure and contents, causing further damage. Dehumidifiers extract moisture from the air and expedite the drying process.
Temperature control. Our technicians take atmospheric and moisture content readings that indicate if the area is drying, at what rate and if any adjustments need to be made.
The goal is to salvage what we can from your property and begin repairs to restore your peace of mind and put your life back to normal.
Sometimes, even when you take all the preventative steps, your property can still suffer water damage during severe weather season. If this happens and you need water mitigation services, remember, you may reach ServiceMaster DSI's specialized team any time, day or night, at 844-413-3130.
