Water Damage: Steps To Taking Care Of Your Home

Whether a pipe bursts or a flood comes, water damage is often overwhelming. Looking around the home it is not always easy to see what needs to be repaired or replaced and how the process should be documented for a homeowner's insurance claim. Attempting this task alone is difficult and often ends in disaster. Before anything, your safety and the safety of your family are of the utmost importance. If the area is still unsafe, wait until better conditions are established. With the help of a professional, check out these steps to getting your home back in order.

Assessment:
One of the hardest parts of dealing with water damage is the assessment. Looking into an area filled with great memories and good times and seeing it ruined is never easy. Unfortunately, the space must be evaluated before any improvements can begin. Take the time to look into each room of the house and find out the current status.

Sometimes, only portions of a home are affected by water damage. If the problem was a leak in the bathroom, it could be that this is the only room affected. With the help of a professional, begin looking at the fixtures, the flooring, and even the walls to see what needs to be repaired or replaced. Personal items will also need to be evaluated. What can you save and what needs to be thrown away?

A professional can help you make these decisions as you walk through the home. At the same time, he or she will be coming up with an estimate to make the repairs and replacements that you are going to need. Feel free to ask questions during this time if you are not sure about whether or not something can be replaced or if you need to start over.

Removal:
If the area is safe, items can be removed from the house. A group of water damage professionals can bring out the furniture, the flooring and any other items that need to be taken out before the repairs can begin. In some cases, everything needs to be removed while other times only the essentials need to be taken out. It all depends on the extent of the damages that have occurred.

Repairs:
Begin to look for items that can be repaired. Instead of replacing an entire set of cabinets, you may only need to replace the doors because of warping. The cost of repairs could still be extensive but often it is less that a complete replacement. A water damage professional can help you determine what which option is best.

Replacement:
No one likes to go through a disaster but there are some opportunities that can make the experience a little easier to handle. As you go about replacing different items around the home, this is a great time to upgrade or make changes that you have been putting off. Different furniture, appliances and even fixtures can be improved when you replace them.