Nothing irks a homeowner quite like the sight of water damage. Leaky pipes and ceilings can definitely ruin your day, so it’s best you deal with these problems right away.
Why?
Moisture promotes the growth of mold, which could deteriorate your home even further.
That being said, you may want to fix water damage before it starts to get worse. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to repair water damage.
1. Make an assessment
Before anything, it’s crucial that you know the extent and complexity of the type of water damage you will have to deal with. You may want to inspect your home and identify places that might need urgent attention.
It helps if you are able to check for mold and other issues that are often the result of moisture buildup. You may need to measure the size of the areas that are affected by mold. A thorough inspection is also needed to find mold that is hidden from plain sight.
Another factor you need to watch out for is the type of water that caused the damage in the first place. Floodwater may cause very serious structural issues while water that’s gradually dripping from a damaged pipe can cause a bad case of discoloration.
Finally, you may also have to check with your home insurance provider if your current policy covers water damage. If it doesn’t, then you may want to request a homeowners insurance quote from Allstate or other providers that cover cases of water damage.
Now that you have made your assessment, it’s time to fix the problem.
2. Keep the area dry
Before working on the affected area, it’s important to dry out all the water first. This should stop mold from spreading and make it easier for you to do a much-needed fix.
For this, you may use a dry towel, a stand fan, or a hair dryer to finally get rid of all that still water. Of course, before you do this, it’s important that you stop the water from dripping by shutting off the water supply or simply sealing the leak using epoxy.
A good rule of thumb here is to dehumidify the house. If you don’t have one already, a dehumidifier should inhibit the growth of mold. Choosing the right one will depend on how large your rooms are.
3. Use disinfectant
It’s not only mold that resides in water damaged areas. Germs and bacteria can also be present that can harm your family’s health.
That said, you may have to look for a commercial disinfectant which you can apply on the damage by way of spraying or wiping.
If you want a less hazardous way of disinfecting a water damaged area, you can mix water with some vinegar to create a natural solution for keeping the area spore-free. Other great choices include bleach, lemon, and hydrogen peroxide.
For sure, using these natural disinfectants can help keep your family safe from serious health hazards that most commercial products contain.
4. Get rid of damp materials
After disinfecting the area, you may want to get rid of materials that have been soaked in water such as drywood and foam, which make for an unsightly problem as these materials tend to curl when they’re wet.
Depending on the extent of the damage, you might want to throw away certain portions of these materials or replace an entire wall altogether. This should help you get rid of any mold that’s left to thrive in the affected area.
Soggy and sagging wood will have to be replaced, so make sure to have a contractor help you if you’re looking at a major renovation, especially if it’s a portion of your ceiling.
For wooden floors that have been discolored, consider replacing the material with ceramic tile or vinyl or laminate flooring. This will definitely give your floor a much-needed upgrade, unless it’s made from hardwood.
5. Provide adequate protection
After replacing the water damaged materials, you will have to add extra protection by using caulk or a sealant.
Other than that, you might also add a fresh layer of paint using a sprayer to conceal the portions you just replaced.
6. Fix broken pipes and leaks in the ceiling
As they always say, prevention is better than cure. So, it’s always a good idea to address a problem at the source to prevent any more cases of water damage in the future.
Whether you’re doing it yourself or getting a contractor to do it for you, regular maintenance of your water system is important as this will save you money in costly repairs. The same is also true with checking your ceiling or roofing for indications of leaks.
From the looks of it, water damage isn’t a difficult problem to confront. You just have to act fast before it’s too late. Pyramid Restoration a water damage Los Angeles company is here to help you in any situation. With these tips in mind, it won’t be!