How to Prevent & Deal with Residential Water Damage

If your worst fear is that your home will go up in flames, you need not worry as residential fires are fairly rare compared to other dangers your home is exposed to.

In reality, you are more likely to face water problems, as all those pipes inside and under your house are not going to operate properly forever.

If we add torrential rains that becoming an increasing issue due to the changing climate, then it becomes clear that you have to learn how to prevent water damage and cope with the consequences of flooding if it occurs anyway.

Knowledge, prevention and a quick response are your best weapons in the fight against water damage.

Damage from different types of water

Believe it or not but not every water damages leaves the same consequences as there are different types of water.

Firstly, we have relatively clean water, like the rainwater and the water flowing through your pipes. The damage from it is relatively easy to clean as all you need to do is to wait for it to dry well.

However, the second and the third type of water is much more detrimental. Grey and black water originate from washing machines, toilets and sewage and they are the hardest to clean.

A house ruined by wastewaters can sometimes be deemed as unsafe for living in and needs to be demolished altogether. That is how serious water damage can be!

Water from above

Homeowners usually first tend to the floor surfaces in their house, while they should really be looking up. If water damage is coming from above, i.e. from a leaky roof, then you first have to secure the ceiling.

Once it starts to sag it won’t be long before it comes down with a bang, injuring people underneath and destroying furniture.

That is why you have to immediately remove damaged panels before they fall burdened by the weight of all that water. If there is any structural damage to the roof, like damaged support beams that are usually made from wood, you have to repair the roof as soon as possible. Only once the roof structure is dry and waterproof can you start putting the ceiling panels back into place.

React as once!

Any water issues are likely the result of a constant source of water that is in the wrong place. Whether it is a burst pipe, flooding from the sewer or a leak in the roof, the water is just going to keep pouring in, so you need to react at once.

This means that you should have access to the main valve that is usually located in one of the manholes outside. Finding one in the dark can be tricky, so it is handy to have a number of an emergency water cleaning service like 1800Flood that have the resources to respond within half an hour 24/7.

The sooner the problematic spot is detected and secured, the sooner can they start cleaning up the mess all that water left behind.

Prevent mold and mildew from forming

One of the biggest dangers to human health after a flood is the forming of mold and mildew. It takes as little as 24 hours for mold to appear on wet surfaces.

If inhaled, it can cause severe respiratory problems both for humans and animals, so you need to isolate the area. Enter the rooms with mold wearing a facemask to cut out the section of the material infested and disposed of it in an eco-friendly fashion.

Remember how we said that some homes are no longer suitable for living in after severe floods? Well, mold is the number one reason for this, so ensure the wet area has enough air circulating through it so it can dry as quickly as possible. The room affected by water should not be left damp.

How to dry the house?

We have pointed out the importance of drying all the rooms but what is the best way to achieve this? Well, the simplest solution is simply to open all the windows and doors and let the walls dry out on their own using nothing but air.

This works well in the summer when the air is hot but in the winter you might need extra drying power. A simple fan can help a lot, as well as industrial dryers. For larger surfaces, however, you should use dehumidifies that have greater capacity.

Finally, the most important thing in water damaged rooms is to react quickly. Once you stop the water from flowing in, you have to start the painstaking process of drying all the surfaces affected by impure water.

Author

Sarah Jessica Smith is a young blogger from Sydney. She is in love with life and all the things that can make her daily routine easier. She loves to write about home improvement, lifestyle, and all the small things that make life such a great adventure.