Experiencing water damage is one of those horrible things that you always assume is going to happen to someone else. You never think that you are going to be the one with burst pipes or a leaky foundation, but the truth is that water damage is the second most common reasons for insurance claims in the United States. In the unlikely event that you do have some water damage happen to you, it is a good idea to know what to do.
Call A Professional
The very first thing you will want to do when you find out about your water damage issue is to call a water damage cleanup crew. Most restoration companies have an emergency line that is open 24/7 to take calls, so you don’t have to worry if you have a problem in the middle of the night. If you don’t know what to do from there, the restoration company will likely be able to give you a few tips on your specific problem, such as how to turn the water off to your home or what to do to protect your flooring, ceiling, or walls until they can get there.
Check Your Insurance
Once you have called a professional and you know that they are on their way or you have scheduled a time for them to come, you may want to call your insurance company. Many people are unaware exactly what is covered under the terms that they have in their homeowner’s insurance. Sometimes flood insurance can be conditional depending on what the cause for it was. It is always a good idea to call and find out exactly what kind of coverage you can expect.
Grab Your Camera
Another thing that will be helpful to your insurance claim is a complete documentation of the damage. You should make a detailed list of not only what structural damage may have been done to your home, but also a list of your belongings that may have been damaged. Items to include on the list could be clothes, technology, furniture, etc. Each thing that you have listed, should also be documented with your camera. So, while it may seem like the last thing you want to do when you have water entering your home, it is an important part of your claim.
Protect Your Items
If you have a slow leak from your ceiling, odds are, you can protect your belongings relatively easily. You can put a tarp down on the ground and have a bucket for the leak to go into. However, if you have a larger flood in your home from water damage, then you should probably move all the items that you have in that room out. Your restoration company can do this for you of course, but if you are waiting for them to arrive, every second counts when protecting your items. You should move your things, but don’t throw them away. A restoration company like Ally 1 can save a lot of things that you might consider too far gone.
