What can I do now?

Tips to help you handle emergency damage:

Water Damage | Fire/Smoke Damage | Mold/Sewage Remediation

WATER DAMAGE

1. Turn off the water supply to stop the flow of water. If the main water supply to the house is turned off, call a repair person to get the problem fixed so water service can be restored as soon as possible.
2. Keep children and pets out of the area.
3. Think safety first, electricity and water don’t mix.  Turn off and unplug floor lamps or computers that are on the floor.  Do not use electrical items in rooms affected by water damage.  Be aware of slip and fall hazards with wet tile.
4. Time is of the essence; call a licensed, certified restoration company.  The longer walls, furniture and other building materials are wet the more damage that occurs and the longer they take to dry.  Delaying remediation will increase the cost and makes the possibility of mold growth greater.
5. Turn your air conditioner down to 70-72 degrees so it runs more.  Air conditioned air is usually drier than outside air and the air in your house is going to be very wet from the water damage.
6. Move wet items up off the floor and begin to separate what can be disposed of and what can be dried. 
7. Place foil under the legs of furniture and try to minimize damage to smaller items in the affected rooms by moving them out of the rooms if possible.
8. Soak water up with towels; never use your household vacuum cleaner to vacuum water up.
9. Remove valuable art and collectibles from the affected rooms.
10. Locate your homeowner’s insurance policy and review the coverage.

Fire Damage

1. Make sure structure is safe to enter.
2. If there is extensive smoke/soot damage use dust mask to protect your breathing.
3. Call a restoration company to board up and secure the building if needed, and dry the structure if it is wet from the fire department.
4. Do not attempt to wash or clean walls, floors, or absorbent materials on your own.
5. Try not to use upholstered furniture before it is restored. But if you do, cover it first.
6. Change air conditioning filters often to help trap soot and particles in the air.
7. Do not use do it yourself upholstery and carpet cleaners.
8. Vacuum loose soot particles gently off of surfaces with a brush vacuum, change the bag frequently.

Mold

1. If you suspect you have mold you must call a qualified mold professional for proper assessment.  Nobody can just look and tell if something is definitely mold.  Testing and laboratory examination is required.
2. Do not vacuum moldy materials.  Most vacuums redistribute some of the soils they pick up back into the room.  This only spreads mold spores further throughout the structure.
3. When mold is present there must have been moisture at some point too.  That moisture source must be found and fixed so future damage will not occur.
4. Cleaning just the surface of a moldy wall will not reach the source.  Typically drywall must be removed and replaced to effectively deal with the source.
5. Do not attempt to remove affected drywall on your own.  Mold remediation requires adequate personal protection equipment (PPE), and that the areas being worked on are contained and separated from the rest of the home.  Special HEPA air cleaning equipment is used in those areas to remove mold spores in the air and prevent them from spreading further.