All families work tirelessly to build their houses. They spend their lives saving to buy a property and make it into a home. They spend years fixing the place up, making memories, and eventually starting families. Buying a house is one of the significant milestones in your life that you should pat yourself on the back for. Not only is it a financial milestone, but it’s a place to call your own. Its security, comfort, and luxury, all wrapped into one. Hence the reason why it’s so hard to accept your fate when disaster strikes. Houses that have been in the family for generations are damaged in mere minutes when freak storms hit. Flooding from heavy downpours can take its toll on your house and make it impossible to live in. though the situation may appear hopeless, it’s still salvageable. This article will look at some steps to fix your house up after a flood. We will discuss several steps you can consider to reclaim your home and restore it to the glory it once had. Here are a few tips you might want to consider.
Get rid of all the water fast.
Removing the water from your house may seem like the obvious solution. However, you need to get rid of the water, but you have to do so fast. The longer you leave the house as it is, the quicker the water will erode the structural support and get to the foundation. It can be tricky to obliterate the water without expert knowledge. An expert can help dry out your home entirely, based on the water leakage. As soon as the storm/ flood passes, call in the water damage advisors to learn more about the extent of the damage and what you can do to rectify the situation.
It’sessential to take out all the water from the little nooks and corners of the house. Even little puddles can spell disaster if you leave them too long. Mold sets in faster than you might imagine. You may want to do a clean sweep of the house and remove the little spots of water that might cause trouble later.
Cut the power
There’s water everywhere, so it would be wise to turn the electrical breaker off. One of the biggest causes of casualties during floods isn’t drowning or being swept away by water but accidental electrocutions. You will be surprised how far an electrical current can reach in a body of water. If you have flood warnings if you see the signs, and if the water starts pouring in, turn the circuit breaker off in advance.
Remember, electrocutions aren’t the only issue you have to deal with. Where you have electrical currents, you have the risk of fire. If you want to have a house to restore after the flood, make sure you turn the breaker off in advance to make sure there is a house to come back to! When the danger has passed, you can turn the power on and reclaim your home over time. You may be saving your house in the long run.
Start cleaning and clearing
Chances are your furniture has sustained too much water damage for you even to consider keeping them. While cleaning up the house, get everything out, clear the place and then decide what you want to do with it. It’s essential to have a clean home for you to deal with the restoration process. The bitter truth is that a lot of your belongings will probably have to be scrapped after this. The good news is that the house itself is salvageable most times.
Cleaning and clearing the place means that professionals can come and go without obstruction. Carpenters, electricians, masons, and plumbers will be coming and going regularly. Moreover, with an empty house, you now know where you stand and where to go from here on. It is indeed tragic that you will lose a fair number of personal belongings, but what matters is that your family is safe and the house is restorable.
Claim your insurance
You won’t be able to reclaim your house without any money. It would help if you started documenting things by taking pictures and videos to show the insurance company. Make sure you cover all your bases, as insurance companies are known to try and get out of paying claims. It will take some time for the money to come in but make sure you pursue it. Losing out on your insurance claim means potentially losing your house. So it is advisable to always be in touch with an experienced insurance claim lawyer as they will guide you correctly when filing a claim.
Once you have the money, you can work towards restoring whatever you need to. The roof will most probably need replacement, the floors will have to go, and the structural beams will need to be looked at to ensure they haven’t retained any moisture. If left unchecked, the beams could collapse and injure your family members.
Call in a contractor
Now that the house is mostly empty, the water has gone. Hopefully, you have the money from your insurance to rebuild. You will probably have to tear down a few walls because of the damage. It is a great chance to remodel the house and make it better than it originally was. A contractor can help you rebuild the house however you want. Therefore, you aren’t just coming back to your home, but a better version of itself.
After the tragic flood that you have been through, take the opportunity to make the house better than before. Other than remodeling and renovating, try and secure it from another flood. Consider waterproof material, fix the seals, and consider tile over wood floors. Moreover, reinforce the basement as best as possible to ensure that water doesn’t gather and cause issues in the future.
Conclusion
Dealing with a disaster like the one you have been through can be extremely challenging. You may feel beaten down, demotivated, and depressed, but you need to reclaim your life (and home) today. We have gone over several steps to consider when restoring your humble abode after a freak flood. You can take time to grieve but make sure you don’t wallow for too long.They say black clouds have a silver lining. Here is your chance to get back your home and make it better than it ever was. You now have the opportunity to secure it not just for yourself but for your future generations as well. As an ending note, we would like to advise you to wear protective gear when in the house. Rubber boots, hard hats, and respirators can save your life when you wade through a flooded home.
