When it comes to dealing with water-related emergencies, knowing what to do can save you thousands of dollars in water damage restoration and repair. For example, if you find your pipe burst or broken, you must know what steps to take in order to minimize the damage that water can cause to your property.

How to handle water damage emergency

In this post, we’ll mention some important steps to prevent the situation while you're waiting for a water damage restoration service. Let’s get started!

1. Turn off the water

First of all, shut off your property’s main water supply immediately. If you don't know where the shutoff valve is located, try to find it as quickly as possible. The valve is usually located near the water heater or under the kitchen sink. If you’re living in a certain part of a building where you don’t have access to the shutoff valve, call your landlord and ask for help.

2. Make sure the electricity is off

No matter the nature of the water damage emergency you're facing in your home, be sure to cut the electricity. Standing water in some parts of your house increases the risk of electrocution. So, turn off the power before doing anything else. If you can’t access the electrical breaker, try to access the main electrical shutoff placed outside your home. You can reach out to an electrician for help.

3. Remove irreplaceable items from the room

Once you’ve turned off the power and water supply, it’s time to enter the flooded area and remove your valuable items. Move them to a space where flooding won’t affect them. To dry your items faster, open windows to circulate air.

4. Call a professional water damage restoration service

It’s always a good idea to do your due diligence and take some immediate damage control measures. However, after taking the above-mentioned steps, call a reliable water and flood damage restoration contractor to repair and clean your property. Let them know what measure you’ve already taken. Be sure to hire the best water damage restoration service in your city. People often panic and just call a company without considering their reviews and reputation. Don’t be one of them, always work with a dependable, budget-friendly contractor.

5. Call your insurance company

If your insurance policy covers the water damage, be sure to contact them to register a claim as soon as possible. Ask them whether they need to visit the site or need photo documentation. Your claim must be properly filed before you repair and clean up your home or commercial property.

To be extra cautious, take your own documentation of all the damages. You can take photos and videos of damaged areas and household items to keep a record.

6. Start removing water from your property

After having enough documentation, you can start removing water and cleaning up. Make sure to use protective clothing such as boots, gloves, and masks during the cleaning process. You can only remove a manageable amount of water with a bucket and mop. If your property has experienced serious flooding, you need more professional tools like a vacuum to remove water quickly.

7. Discard items that can’t be cleaned or repaired

What's next? If water has already been absorbed into items like walls, rugs, and floors, you might face some problems down the road. For example, mold and mildew will likely start growing on wet surfaces. If an item can’t be dried out, it’s probably ideal to eliminate it.

Final thoughts

Flooding from a burst pipe sometimes saturated the areas below the surface. In such a case, you have to work with a water damage restoration company to determine potential problems and solutions. Water remediation contractors can help you dry out the affected areas.

About TSP Contracting

TSP Contracting is a leading name for the best water damage restoration services in Fairfax and other cities in Virginia. We’ve served residential and commercial clients with top-notch damage restoration services for many years. Call us for emergency water damage restoration services in Virginia, Washington, and Maryland!