Dealing with water damage is nothing short of an absolute nightmare for homeowners. In addition to working with your insurance company, you will have to find a plumbing contractor in Grand Rapids, MN to have the source of the excess water repaired. You will also have to assess the damage, and salvage whatever possessions you can before the affected area is cleaned and restored. Although this is a disaster that no one ever wants to deal with, here are a few tips that can help make the entire process more manageable if you ever find yourself in this situation:
- Eliminate electrical dangers: Whenever you are dealing with flooding in your home, your first step should always be to make sure there are no impending electrical dangers by turning off the electricity in the area where the water is located. If only a small area is affected, you can disable electricity in this specific area with the circuit breaker that powers that location. However, if flooding has occurred in several areas of your home, you will need to turn off the entire circuit panel.
- Shutting off the water flow: After you have taken care of any electrical dangers that may be present, your next step is shutting off the water flow so that the situation doesn’t continue to get worse. The main water shutoff valve is typically located in the basement in the area where the outside water meter enters your home, and this will need to be turned off in order to prevent any further damage. For some homes, the main water valve is located outside underneath the water gate, and a water key is usually required to turn it off. If there is any standing water in your basement or you are uncomfortable attempting to locate your water valve, you can call in an emergency plumber for professional assistance.
- Make sure you’re covered: Once you have contained the water flow, you can then call your insurance company and begin assessing the damage in your home. Make sure to take pictures of the damage before having anything restored to assist in validating your claim, and ensure that you are able to get as much assistance as possible from your insurance company. It is a good idea to check your policy before you actually need it so that you are aware of what is covered, and what types of damage you might have to come out of pocket for.
The restoration of your home can be an extremely overwhelming process, and unless you have a plumbing contractor in Grand Rapids, MN take care of the most important facets of water damage restoration and repair the source of the problem, you will continue to have the same issues in your home. Our knowledgeable staff at Rapids Plumbing & Heating Inc. is here to help you and your family restore order in your home with plumbing repairs that take care of everything from leaky faucets to burst pipes. If you have excess water in your home, give us a call today so we can eliminate your plumbing woes right away.