Do's & Don’ts of Flood  Damage Cleanup

6/25/2018 (Permalink)

The first thing you will need to do after a flood is make sure that it’s safe for you and your family to be on the property.  SERVPRO has the ability to pull our resources in the event of a flood and can be onsite to assist you in the event of a flood.  Here is a list of Do's and Don'ts after a flood for you to consider. 

• DO beware of rodents, snakes and insects that might have come in with flood waters
• DO smell for gas and look for damaged power and gas lines, foundation cracks and exterior damage
• DO look for broken pilings, shifted stairs, slanted floors and walls
• DO turn off water and power (unless you would have to do so while standing in water)
• DON’T enter your home or business if you see major structural damage
• DON’T walk on sagging floors or floors above sagging ceilings
• DON’T use electrical appliances or turn on ceiling fans and lights if the ceilings are wet

Once you’re ready to start the cleaning process, it’s important to prioritize. At this stage:

• DO check that your running water is safe to drink and to use for cleaning
• DO flush your toilet before you use it to check for clogs from mud and debris
• DO check for cabinets and other items that may be ready to fall over
• DO temporarily patch holes in the walls and roof with plastic wrap and repair floors and roof sections with 4X4s if you can do so safely
• DO remove debris
• DO remove water trapped in walls
• DO open all the doors and windows to improve ventilation
• DO use a wet vac, shop vac, fans, dehumidifiers and desiccants (materials that absorb moisture) to start drying out the property
• DON’T drain a flooded basement too quickly, because rapid changes in pressure could cause the foundation to collapse
• DON’T do structural or electrical work yourself
• DON’T connect generators to the home’s power system, but plug in fans and appliances directly
• DON’T use generators, grills, camp stoves or charcoal inside homes or within closed areas
• DON’T use a household vacuum to remove water and mud
• DON’T let garbage pile up, as it could exacerbate contamination and house pests
• DON’T leave pools of standing water, which could become breeding grounds for mosquitoes

Floods are serious events to a persons home or business, SERVPRO of Lagrange Park/North Riverside is always here to help.  Give us a call at 708-240-4873.  We will make it “Like it never even happened.”