Home Water Damage: How To Handle It With Ease

Whether from a wild storm or a leaky pipe, home water damage can happen when you least expect it. When it does, it's best to know how to handle the situation quickly and efficiently. Often, water damage takes time to occur, so taking care of it the moment you notice the problem is critical. Luckily, if you've noticed home water damage, Abba Property Solutions is here to help you resolve the situation and give you the tools and assistance you need to proceed with confidence.

Look For Signs of Home Water Damage

Home water damage can be a slow burning problem or a rapid issue. For some, you won’t notice any water damage until something more drastic, such as a collapsing ceiling or crumbling drywall, occurs. 

Discoloration in your drywall, yellow stains, musty or damp odors, and a decrease in sink, shower, or toilet water pressure can be telling signs of a pipe leak. If you notice any of these signs, then take action immediately to discover a potentially larger issue. 

Other times, a large storm or a massive pipe breakage can cause immediate, devastating damage. Larger damage, while easier to spot, can cause devastating home water damage in next to no time at all.

Turn Off Your Water Source

The moment you notice a leak in your home, turn off your main water source. For some leaks, they’ll be near your water heater, washing machine, or a faucet. In these cases, oftentimes the valves are nearby and can shut off water to that specific area. 

If you're not sure where the leak is coming from, it’s best to shut water off from the main source, typically found at the front of your home near the street. 

Try to Contain Standing Water

In smaller floods, try to contain the water to a specific area and not let it spread. Lay out old towels or other absorbent materials to control the spread of standing water. 

If you have a sump pump, use this to pump water out of the damaged space. If the entirety of your house is flooded due to a large storm or maintenance issue, place your safety first and remove yourself from the situation for the time being. Then, come back when the water levels have receded on their own and the area has been deemed safe to reenter by an emergency professional.

Move At-Risk and Valuable Items

Whether or not the water appears to be spreading, remove any at-risk items from its path. When safe, electronics should be moved out of the path of the water. However, if the water is deep or it’s unknown whether an electronic has already been water damaged, turn both your electricity and water off. 

Move your pictures, books, and other sentimental items away from damage zones as well. While items such as ceramics can be easily cleaned after the fact, so if time is of the essence, focus your efforts on textiles, paper products, and legal documents. There are also steps you can take to restore your items if you were unsuccessful at clearing them away prior to home water damage.

Call Your Local Plumber

While your first instinct may be to call a water damage restoration expert, your plumber must fix the source of the leak before any water damage repair can take place. If the flooding wasn't caused by a plumbing source, then go ahead and call your local water damage mitigation experts.

For the Jacksonville, FL area, Abba Property Solutions is your one-stop-shop for water damage rehab and renovation. Once the source of the leak is determined, we can come in and quickly work with your insurance provider to properly dry and restore your home back to its best condition. The sooner we can get in to dry the structure, the better so there’s less time for mold to develop. 

Call your Insurance 
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This is a step where companies like us can also assist you. You’ll want to include pictures of the damage and property losses suffered from the incident. Abba works in conjunction with your insurance company as a preferred contractor to provide what they’ll need to get the best coverage possible. 

While flooding is something that you never want to think can happen, it's vital to have a plan in place and know that there’s people you can rely on to get you back on your feet. 

If you or a friend experience home water damage in Jacksonville, FL-- call Abba Property Solutions to have your questions answered, obtain a free quote, and start repairing your home today!