Experiencing flooding after heavy rain or storm can be devastating for any family. Not only will you have to deal with its aftermath, but you also have to be wary of its impact on your home, household items, and family’s health. If left unattended for long periods, the flood can end up compromising your home’s structural integrity. As a result, it can lead to mould growth and infestation, causing your household members skin allergies and respiratory diseases. This is why you must get rid of the floodwater as soon as possible and keep your house completely dry. Yet, doing this may be taxing if you don’t know what you’re doing.
In this article, we will share effective tips and tricks on how to dry your house soon after flooding. Keep on reading also to know what areas and items to focus on and how to keep them completely dry:
What Areas and Household Items to Be Dried
Let’s first take a look at some areas of your house and some valuable items inside that you need to pay attention to. Below are things that need to be dried off:
- Floors: It’s easy to see floodwater lying on the floor soon after a storm. It can be all the more problematic if you have carpet flooring as this fabric can absorb the water. After removing the water, you have to ensure that the floor will be arid. Be sure to check the carpets to see if they can be salvaged. If they’ve been soaked for more than 48 hours, you may need to remove and replace them.
- Walls: It’s common for walls to get impacted by rainwater, especially if the leaks come from the roof and run on the walls. Not only do you need to keep these surfaces completely parched, but you also have to clean, disinfect, and deodorize them to prevent the growth of mildew, moulds, fungi, bacteria, and viruses.
- Furnishings: Remember that the flood can severely impact the house furnishings. For this reason, be sure to examine your furniture pieces, curtains, bedsheets, appliances, utensils, and art objects. Assess the severity of the damages and see if they can still be salvaged, cleaned, and dried off. In the end, toss out those furnishing items that are severely damaged.
- Documents: Don’t forget to dry your pertinent documents because you’ll want to save them as much as possible. These include your personal paperwork, certificates, photos, books, and other vital items.
How to Dry Your Home After a Flood
Now that you know several areas to focus on, let’s discuss how you’ll go about drying your home after a flood. Follow the steps below:
- Water removal: This is the first step to take once impacted by flooding. Your goal is to ensure that all traces of water will be gotten rid of from the area. After manually removing water using a bucket, you can use special water vacuums to eliminate any vapour left behind.
- Air drying: After the water removal, air drying is the next course of action you’ll have to take. All you have to do is position large fans and turn them on to dry the impacted areas of your home. Likewise, be sure to increase airflow and circulate the humidity out of the room.
- Using dehumidifier: In the end, using dehumidifiers will make a huge difference in drying out your home. Be sure to place them in the affected area after the water extraction to get rid of moisture from the air and surrounding materials. The drying process must only stop once the moisture tests show the levels are dry enough.
Conclusion
At this point, you now know how to dry your house after a flood. To that end, be sure to pay attention to specific areas and household items outlined above and follow the key steps mentioned above on how to do it. If you find it hard to do it alone, be sure to hire a professional service provider for the flood removal, house cleanup, and property restoration. Ultimately, doing so will help keep your home back in perfect shape and condition!
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