Don't clean up water damage alone

6/21/2022 (Permalink)

Call us if you ever find yourself holding a bucket to catch water in your home.

So you've had a flood in your house.  Maybe the dishwasher backed up and your kitchen is flooded and running into your living room.  Or your upstairs bathroom toilet clogged up and now you have water pouring through the ceiling into your basement.  Most people don't think water is that big of a deal and as long as they can dry it out, things will be fine.  Sometimes though, they're wrong.  Here are a few reasons why you shouldn't try and clean your flooded home by yourself.

1. Mold.  We all know that mold is the number 1 enemy after water damage, but most people don't really understand why or how mold affects our home.  If you don't properly mitigate the situation, you're almost guaranteed to have mold growing in the porous materials of your floor, walls, and belongings.  The walls may look and feel dry, but you can't see the other side, where the mold is growing, until it gets so bad that it comes through the wall.

2. Home Depreciation & Insurance Issues.  Homeowners insurance is purchased for a reason.  In the event of damage to your home, they will help you cover the costs.  If you choose to clean up the damage yourself, you're going to understand why a restoration company matters.  If by chance you've cleaned up a flood on your own without calling insurance, you aren't going to be able to file a claim later one.  Any issue that might arise due to improper cleaning is no longer covered by insurance.  That's a huge risk, if the damage is bad enough, and then the value of your home is going to decrease unless you pay to replace everything that could have been restored.

3. Warped floors and walls.  This is the big one that usually makes people think twice after they've cleaned their own flood.  It's not very noticeable at first, but after time your floors may start twisting and warping.  Wood floors can be permanently damaged, drywall will deteriorate, and carpets can delaminate.  If you try to dry out a flood without the proper equipment, it's going to take a lot longer and the humidity will do more damage than you realize.

4. Biohazards from contaminated water.  I had a woman approach me yesterday to tell me that her laundry room was backing up.  What caught me off guard was that she said "It's clean water, just from the washing machine, so it's not too bad."  There is a big difference between clean water and contaminated water.  If the water in your home is from a supply line, in most circumstances, it can be considered clean water, and there is a bigger likelihood of being able to restore almost all of the contents in the home if dried properly.  Water that comes from the Drain-Waste-Vent System, in other words the water going OUT of your house, is absolutely not clean and it contains things like chemicals and biohazard waste in it.  It might not look like sewage, but you're not going to want that to get on your skin or breathe it in, no matter what.

5. Risk of electric shock.  If you don't have experience with working with electricity, let me tell you, getting shocked is not fun.  When water is introduced to your electrical system, it can be deadly.  If the water is in your walls, it's best to call in the professionals so you don't risk harming yourself.

If you need help, give us a call at (208) 242-3819 and SERVPRO of Blackfoot & Pocatello can be there in an hour.