From burst and leaking pipes to a natural water disaster such as a flood, many factors can lead to unexpected water damage in your home. As a homeowner, it is nothing short of a nightmare to have water flowing inside your house, especially when you have no idea where it is coming from. The worst thing about an incident of residential water damage in your home is that water is naturally invasive, which means that it can spread around rapidly while causing serious damage to the internal structures of your house.

When faced with unexpected water damage in your home, the very first thing to do for immediate water removal is to call a water damage restoration service. However, while you wait for professional help to arrive at your doorstep, there are a few important things you can and should do in order to minimize the destruction and prevent the water from causing any kind of structural damage.

Identify the Source of Water

In case of a natural calamity such as a flood or heavy rainfall, the source of the water is quite obvious. However, in other cases, such as a leaking pipe, broken valves, or plumbing issues, it can be hard to figure out where the water is coming from. The first thing that you need to do in the latter case is to go over every corner of your house and identify the source of the water. Check all possible areas that have pipes and other plumbing-related accessories.

Shut Off Main Valve

Once you identify the water source, the next best thing to do is shut off the main valve. This will immediately stop the flow of additional water inside your home. You should always make sure that you the exact location of the shutoff valve in case of such incidents of unexpected water damage.

Remove Soaked Items

During such an incident, some items like the rug, carpets, sofas, mats, mattresses, and padded furniture are likely to be soaked with water. Remove all these items and other similar absorbent materials immediately from inside and place them outdoors, somewhere under the sun. This is because the longer they stay soaked with water, the higher the risk of the growth of mold inside your home as moisture is an ideal breeding ground for mold and mildew.

Open Windows and Switch on Fans

Cross ventilation is absolutely necessary when dealing with water damage in order to prevent high humidity levels and excess moisture. Open all the windows, switch on the fans and run the HVAC system fan as well so that there is adequate circulation of air all around the house.

Remove Water Manually

Standing water can lead to numerous issues, such as structural damage and the growth of mold, for instance. So, while you wait for a professional water removal team to arrive, try removing the water manually from your house with the help of push brooms and floor squeegees. Unexpected water damage can be an absolute nuisance, so it is always ideal to be prepared by having some useful tools ready for such unforeseen circumstances.