As the weather gets colder, most homeowners will be more likely to get a call from their insurance company about flooding damage. But if you aren’t paying attention, it can happen at any time of year. When that happens, there are some things you should do right away to minimize your losses.
The best way to protect yourself and your family is to know how to react to basement flooding in 48 hours. This includes what to do after you’ve called your insurance company and they tell you that you’re going to need a basement flood clean-up contractor to come out.
What Should You Do First?
If you have already called your insurance company and they told you you’ll need to hire a professional cleaning company to come out and remove mold, mildew, water, and sewage from your basement, then the first thing you should do is take action.
The person who is stuck in the flooded area must kwon regarding the steps that he can opt for in cleaning the place. A person should collect the detail on the flooded basement cleanup cost and then accordingly make the arrangement. The step take by the person at the right time will be the reason of the success of the people.
You may want to consider hiring a home inspector or having someone else inspect your property for potential problems before you make such a drastic decision. In fact, some companies offer free inspections to help homeowners avoid such mistakes.
And if you haven’t yet made that call, that’s okay too! It takes just 24 hours for mold to grow on a dry surface. So if you don’t call them immediately after the flooding occurs, you could end up with an even bigger problem than you currently face.
So once you’ve been given the all clear by your insurance company to call a flood cleaning contractor, it’s time to start planning. Below, we’ll cover what you should do as soon as possible to mitigate the damage.
Before Calling Your Insurance Company
First of all, you need to contact your insurance agent. If you have one, he or she should be able to walk you through the process of finding a reputable flood cleaning company and provide a list of recommended ones to use.
If not, you might want to check online and see what comes up. There are several sites where people post reviews of local businesses. Or simply ask the neighbors down the street who has had flood damage recently if they used a particular business and whether or not they were happy with the results.
Once you speak with your insurance company, you need to start gathering information. They should be able to give you a detailed description of the extent of the damages, including the type of water involved (for example, if it was standing water or sewage). That alone could help determine the cost of the clean-up.
When determining the cost of your claim, keep track of everything. Make sure you include things like labor costs, supplies, equipment used, and mileage driven. Also, make sure your claims adjuster knows about any additional expenses you paid to other contractors during the clean-up.
Next, you should try to find out when your insurance policy expires. And, depending on the amount of coverage you actually have, you might also want to think about buying supplemental insurance. The same goes for your homeowner’s insurance. You never know what kind of damage you might incur between now and the date your insurance expires.
Finally, you should write down every detail you can remember regarding the incident. For example, did they use absorbent pads, towels, or other materials to soak up the excess water? What was the color of the water? Was it gray, brownish-black, or green? Did the walls look wet or damp? Were there puddles on the floor?
What To Start Doing Immediately After Calling Your Insurance Company
There are two main reasons why you should start trying to contain the damage immediately after the floodclean-up contractor arrives.
One reason is so that the contractor doesn’t leave behind any evidence of his visit. This would cause future issues down the road, such as if the property is sold or a dispute arises over ownership.
Another reason is that you don’t want to wait until the next day to start getting rid of the excess moisture and contaminants. By then, the damage might have already spread throughout your house.
Even though you’ve called your insurance company, you still need to prepare yourself mentally for the work ahead. You should expect to spend a few days cleaning your basement before moving back into your home.
So to give yourself as much time as possible, you might want to plan to stay somewhere else while this work is being done. You can always rent a hotel room until the repairs are complete, but you may be able to save money by having a friend or family member rent a place for you.
Or you could also consider staying with a relative or close friend. If you can manage it until the flood clean-up is completed, then you won’t have to pay for a hotel room. Just be sure to coordinate everything with whoever you’re staying with so that you don’t run the risk of someone coming over without permission.
After you’ve cleaned your basement, you’ll want to move back into your home. Once you’ve gotten everything cleaned up, you’ll want to change all the clothes you have stored in your basement. The best way to do this is to put all your dirty clothes in plastic bags and seal them tightly. Then throw those bags in the trash.
This will prevent them from smelling bad and attracting insects. Plus, it’ll keep your clothes off the floor and off of anything else that might be contaminated.
Once you’ve moved all your clothing back upstairs, you should vacuum and dust your entire basement. Use a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner to get rid of all the debris and dirt. Then wipe down everything with a disinfectant spray.
If you have pets, you may want to consider keeping them somewhere else during the clean-up period. Otherwise, you can let them roam around outside while you clean up.
After Everything Is Done
Now that everything has been taken care of, it’s time to enjoy your new home again! If you have children, you may want to make sure they understand that they shouldn’t play in the basement unless specifically instructed to do so.
And even then, they shouldn’t go near the wet areas. They should only play in the rooms that don’t appear to have any water damage. That way, they won’t accidentally step on something that they shouldn’t touch.
Of course, it’s important to stay vigilant and make sure nothing falls behind closed doors. And if you notice any strange smells, open all the windows and air vents in order to allow fresh air to circulate.
Lastly, you should make sure the basement stays clean at all times. Even if you aren’t using it, you’ll want to keep it well-maintained so that no mold or mildew starts growing.
You should also keep your eyes peeled for any signs of mildew or molds. These might look like discoloration of wood or ceiling paper, or spots on the walls that seem moist.
If you see any of these signs, it’s best to call a professional. Mold, mildew, and mildew growth can lead to serious health risks, such as asthma attacks, respiratory ailments, and possibly cancer.
In addition to preventing these problems, you should also keep an eye out for any signs of structural damage, such as cracks or holes in the walls that could be caused by the floodwaters. Once you discover any damage, you should call a licensed contractor for repair.
With proper maintenance and regular checks, you shouldn’t have to deal with any major problems for years to come. And you should be able to enjoy your home more than ever before.