Removing Flood Water
Removing Flood Water
Flooding leads to property destruction and
loss of life and can therefore be very traumatic.
But what happens when the flood waters fall back and
you need to remove all this water from your home?
Restoring your home or property requires quick and
effective water removal to avoid further damage.
Water damage caused by flooding is harmful. It
can pose a very real threat to the structure of your
house and also bring in contaminated water and raw
sewage, putting you and your family's lives at risk.
The water removal efforts are a worrying and
difficult experience. Read below to find different
ways to help and make the job safer and easier.
- Before starting any water removal process,
make sure that safety is uppermost. Before any
restoration process, turn off the main
electrical power switch to avoid any problems
that can lead to a fire. Make sure you wear
protective clothing and equipment to keep
yourself safe.
- Move quickly and get rid of the water as
fast as possible. Do not allow it stand for too
long. If you leave it untreated after 24 hours,
it will accelerate the presence of mold and
mildew which will pose another different problem
for you.
- After a flood, it is probable that many of
your possessions will get water damaged. Set
priorities for things that you want to save and
act quickly to help save them from more damage.
Assess values of property to make a good
decision. If it is very valuable and
irreplaceable, then try to save it first.
- Start with the attic first. Replace the loft
insulation if it is wet or damaged. If it got
wet the chances are the moisture is trapped that
damages the structure further.
- Remove water soaked items from the attic
before the treatment. Anything soaked in water
will add weight and put pressure on the floor
which can damage the ceilings below. Open any
attic windows to allow air to circulate.
- If you want successfully restore your home
after a flood, you need to remove the water,
moisture and humidity from the area. Heat
generating machines do not help because these
kinds of equipment will just increase the
humidity and therefore mildew. You can use a
dehumidifier and fans to do this job for you.
- If you want the structure to dry
effectively, you can let it dry naturally. This
is not always possible so speeding the process
up with specific heat inducing and dehumidifying
machines will help the drying process and dry
the property faster but they can cause extensive
harm to the structure if used incorrectly - for
this you really should be calling in the
professionals.
- If a basement is flooded, do not pump out
water too quickly. If a basement is drained too
soon and the external environment is still
flooded uneven pressure on its walls could build
up. This might result to the collapse of the
structure. Wait for the external flood to
recede, and then pump out 2-3 feet of water from
the basement, mark it and wait overnight. If the
basement water level rises, it is still not safe
to pump it out. If the water level lowered or
remained unchanged, you can drain 2-3 feet of
water again and repeat the process.
Removing water after the flood is a difficult
thing to do and is better attempted by professionals
who specialise - however if a flood is the result of
excessive rainfall or freak weather it’s possible
there will be no one left to assist you. Follow the
steps above and act quickly but do not panic you
will at least help to minimise the damage until a
specialist company can be found.
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