This is extremely crucial for your and the safety of your loved ones – it will determine whether or not it’s safe to go inside.
SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB) March 31, 2021
Natural disasters can strike at any time, especially during wet seasons, after snow thaws and start melting. One of the most devastating scenarios is flooding due to dam breaks and infrastructure failure.
Flooding can bring a large mass of water with near constant presence to your doorstep – and the only thing you can hope for is that you and your family are safe during this trying time.
Dealing with natural disasters and flooding – what to do after
The 2021 March major Australian floods serve as a reminder that nature is fickle and that our understanding of stability is actually pretty fragile. Nonetheless, the human spirit is strong and it will persevere – and it will continue thinking forward about what to do next.
In the circumstances of major flooding, like the ones we witnesses Down Under, there is little that a person can do to protect their proper, and the only thing that they could really hope for is that water subsides soon. After flooding repairs and restoration are one major way to deal with life disrupting events, as they are a source of hope and a path to returning life back where it was.
In light of this, we invited GCDRestoration.com’s Dean Zhelev in the capacity of a consulting body, to give us some professional tips on after flooding water damage restoration and repair. Provided below you will see the 5 most crucial tips on what to do after the flood is gone.
1. Inspect foundation and landscaping around the property
As the big mass of water subsides, it can carry a lot of debris and sediment with it, it can also carry a lot of soil and crucial ground with it. What you are interested, before you start renovating the inside of the property, whether the foundation and the landscaping around it have been affected in any major way.
What you are looking for is to see if there are cracks and any sort of damage on the foundation – is it exposed, how much topsoil has been lost – has it moved – is there a slow landslide. This is extremely crucial for your and the safety of your loved ones – it will determine whether or not it’s safe to go inside.
2. Wear protection and stay safe
After the foundation inspection, it’s vital to ensure your safety – there are a lot of slip hazards, with wet wooden surfaces being one of the major factors to look out for. Wear protective gear – use a high graded mask with a filtration system like the n95 mask or a m100 mask – gloves and rubber boots are also vital.
The category of the water is very important – blooding can bring a lot of debris and bacteria to a property, it’s considered gray water since it will contain some sort of bacterial compositions like e-coli. Any clothing worn during this period should be disposed of since it will be soaked in contaminated water.
Staying safe is also important, depending on the water levels that the floods reached, you should be mindful of fall hazards, drooping ceilings, compromised flood boards and everything else in between. Open windows – this will promote higher ventilation and will speed up the drying process.
3. Turn off electricity and gas line
The second biggest concern is to turn off any electrical or gas supply to the property. This should be done prior to the flooding, since it will prevent shorts and gas leaks, however, you haven’t had the chance, you should look towards dealing with those before starting the renovation.
Exposed and wet wires are extremely dangerous and cannot only cause electrocution, but might also spark a fire inside the wall, further damaging the property. Fire is one of the most devastating disasters that can strike a property, its effects are irreversible and extremely hard to deal with – par full rebuilding and reconstruction of the affected areas.
Turn off gas lines as well, if your property is supplied with natural gas, you should turn off any access to the property. While explosions are rare, they are still likely and considering you’ve just been through a natural disaster, it’s good to avoid another.
4. Don’t minimize equipment – water pumps, air movers, dehumidifiers
The first stage of restoration starts with removing any still or pooled water, use mops, pumps and whatever else you have available to extract surface water. You should remind yourself that if a large mass of water entering your property, it will be present in places that are not in eyesight, so it’s recommended that you deal with the situation thoroughly.
One of the biggest mistakes even a professional can make, is to minimize equipment in order to save some money. In the circumstances of after flood water damage restoration, the presence of water in the property, inside walls, wall insulation, and all the crevices you can think of, will be major so you need all of the help you can get.
It’s important to have equipment that promotes air movement and evaporation of moisture which is bound to wood and plasterboard. Create zones and enclose them so you can do a quicker job of removing water – prolonged exposure of wood to water will cause it to rot which will promote mold growth and compromise structural integrity.
5. Call for professional assistance
After your preliminary work, you should look towards contracting a professional restoration company that has experience with flood damage scenarios. GCDRestoration.com is a San Francisco based company which has had much of its success in exactly these types of scenarios – so they are fully capable and equipped to handle any disaster scenarios.
Use your insurance coverage, don’t worry about the premium, this is why you have the insurance in the first place. Let GCDRestoration deal with the insurance adjusters, they will provide them the quote and your company will deal with the payment – all you have to worry about is finding a safe place to live until the restoration is complete – insurance can cover that as well.
We hope this instructional text will prove useful to you in flood and natural disaster cases – remember, the most important thing is your life and health – don’t take chances and tempt fate.