The rainy months are about to begin, which is great for the new flowers and plants budding, but isn’t always as great for your home and property. From flooding and leaking to mildew and rain damage, you’re sure to have a lot on your plate due to the April showers. Luckily, there’s a few ways you can handle the damage that may prevent the high prices of a professional coming in to fix the problem. So, try not to stress when the rain brings damage, because it may not be a complete budgetary crisis if you act fast and follow these ten tips.
1. Dry it Out
One of the first things you can do to combat water damage of any kind is to let it dry out. This means opening the windows as soon as you possibly can, even if it is cold outside. The air will take care of the problem more than you could think possible. Of course, if natural air isn’t possible then you can always use a fan. This backup process will help dry things even faster, even if you can’t open up a window. For substantial problems, you may want to rent a shop fan to help push even more air onto the water damage. If there is a lot of water in the area, then it may come down to using a sump vac to clear the area before you begin the drying process.
2. Remove Wet Items
A lot of the time people will leave wet items where they are in hopes that they will just dry out on their own. This can be one of the main causes of damage and will ruin more than just the item that is wet. If there is a major leak, then try to move out affected furniture and rugs as soon as possible so that the flooring beneath the items is completely clear. This will allow you to work faster to clean up the mess on your flooring and walls, which will help reduce permanent damage. It also will allow your furniture and rugs to begin the drying off process, which is definitely helpful. With these items away from affected areas they can dry completely, which will also cut back on the amount of damage you have to deal with.
3. Invest in Dehumidifier
One of the best ways to prevent water damage from happening in any circumstance is to invest in a dehumidifier. This is even a great item to have around your washer and dryer to prevent damage to your machines due to the constant humidity. A dehumidifier, will do just as its name suggests. That is, knock out humidity. This will help keep your wallpaper going strong, while also getting rid of the moisture caused by leaks and so much more. A dehumidifier isn’t on the expensive side either, so you should be able to keep your budget in order when you buy one. Best of all, this item will quickly become a favorite in the summer months when the humidity is too much to bear.
4. Change the Paneling/Dry Wall
When it comes to water damage on your wall, one of the best things you can do is act fast and get rid of the damage. Luckily, fixing a wall doesn’t have to be a professional job, nor does it have to cost a small fortune. If you have paneling on your wall, then simply take off the damaged panels and assess if the wall is also damaged. If not, you’re good just to replace the paneling. Fixing the wall will be a bit more work though, but not as much as you think. All you have to do is work to cut around all of the damage. Then, you take fresh dry wall and plaster it into the wall. There’s a bunch of tutorials on how to accomplish this, so you won’t be entirely on your own. You can even get step by step videos for free, so don’t stress out over the task! Getting out the damaged wall is important, because it can help you avoid mold in the home.
5. Utilize Freezer
One of the biggest causalities to water damage is paper products. Most of the time, people count their losses when it comes to water hitting items like books or paper records. However, there is a quick fix that can keep your paper products looking good. That is, you simply toss them in the freezer. Of course, this only works if you have a no frost freezer as any freezer that causes frost will only add to the damage of the books. A no frost freezer will stop the water in its tracks though, so it can’t do any further damage.
6. Clear Carpet
Carpet is one of the main things that takes the brunt of water damage. Even though you dry carpet, sometimes it can retain the damage caused by the water. For starters, you will need to clean the carpet just to get rid of the bacteria from the leaked water. You won’t want your children playing around on water that leaked through the roof and into the home because there is no clue what it picked up along the way. Of course, before you can steam clean you may need to get a wet/dry vacuum to take care of the mess. This will help get rid of the majority of the problem. Of course, once everything is dried and cleaned, you will have to worry about what is under the carpet. This can be as simple as lifting it, cleaning underneath it and then securing it again. If mold has developed, you can usually clean it up with bleach or vinegar.
7. Tackle Electronics
Of course, when it comes down to it, electronics can be one of the scariest things to deal with when it comes to water damage. Most of the time, you won’t be able to tell if they are completely lost or if there is some way to restore them to a functional status. The first step you should take if you notice water has gotten onto your item is to turn it completely off and unplug it. This should help prevent electronic damage, if the item hasn’t already had it. Once you do this, begin the cleaning process as quickly as you can. Make sure to dry everything off on the exterior of the device. If you can, open up the device and gently try to get rid of the water there too. You may want to use a blow dryer for this. Sticking smaller items in a bag of rice is also said to help. Once everything is dry, leave it alone to dry for a couple of days. If you can power it on then, then it may not be necessary to seek a professional.
8. Clean
Many people overlook the fact that any leak at all requires extensive cleaning on their part. It doesn’t matter if the water damage is just on the exterior of the home or if a small portion of rain water managed to seep through the base of the floor and onto the carpet. Any water contamination will need a thorough cleaning to prevent mold and mildew from popping up in your home. These problems can bring horrible smells into the home, which will leave you wishing you would have fixed the problem days prior. Mold can also be pesky and will leave you working hard to get rid of it before it causes a problem with your family’s breathing and overall health.
9. Get to the Bottom of the Leak
When you notice there’s a leak in your home, one of the first things you should do is find out where the leak is coming from. More often than not, you can’t see where the leak has started straight away. This can lead to even more damage, which may cause you to have to bring out the professionals. You might want to turn off the water, if you believe it to be a pipe, then look around for where the damage begins. If you think the weather is the root of the problem, then wait out the storm then look for where the damage begins. By doing this, you can patch any holes and so on, which will prevent the damage from progressing and prevent it from occurring again. Finding damage at the source is also a good way to avoid rotting, molding and so much more, which can make your life a nightmare.
10. Prevention
The best possible way to fix water damage is actually to never let it happen in the first place. Of course, this is much easier said than done. However, there are several things you can do to make sure your home doesn’t have to deal with water damage. The first is to routinely check your roof. Look for loose shingles and damage that might cause a leak in your home. You should also clean the gutters often, especially when you know there is going to be lots of rain and debris in your area. Monitoring the attic and basement is also pretty important in the scheme of things as any water damage will likely form there first. By doing regular maintenance on the interior and exterior of the home, you should find yourself dealing with less problems.
No one wants to put up with water damage, especially during the rainy season. These ten tips should help your home stay dry, so you can save a bundle of money. Before long, water damage may not even cross your mind, because you’ll have handled it all so well.
