Dealing with a flooded apartment is a tough and stressful situation. When water suddenly enters your living space, it can cause serious damage and lead to major financial losses. The key to protecting your home is to act quickly and thoughtfully. Removing the water and starting the drying process immediately will help prevent severe water damage and the growth of toxic mould. Having a plan in place for a flood will keep your family safe, protect your belongings, and help you restore any water damage quickly. If you want to learn more about water damage restoration, check out our guide about sustainable practices in water damage restoration.
The very first thing you need to do when faced with a flooded apartment is to prioritise your own safety. Never enter rooms that have stagnant water if the power is turned on in those areas. After you have determined that it is safe to proceed, find the source of the water damage, whether it is an overflowing bathtub, a leaky appliance, or a broken pipe, and turn it off at immediately. You can do this by turning off the specific leaking tap or, if necessary, shutting off the water mains to your apartment.
Once the water flow has been turned off, it is now time to make the right calls. If you are renting the apartment, contact your landlord or real estate agent immediately to notify them of the situation before seeking outside services. If the situation is worse, it is best to call emergency services. Homeowners should call their insurance company to report the incident. Meanwhile, place old sheets and heavy towels should on hard floor surfaces to absorb the water and prevent slip-and-fall accidents.
After dealing with the initial risks, you can then turn your attention to damage control. Start extracting as much water as possible from the surface using mops, heavy rags, and towels. It is crucial to clear the floor by taking out loose floor coverings, rugs, and anything else that is in the affected area. Remember to remove or pin up any low-hanging curtains and drapes to prevent them from absorbing moisture from the wet floors.
To protect your furniture during a flooded apartment, you can start by moving them or relocating them entirely to a dry room. If you have heavy furniture that cannot be moved, you can start by placing plastic bags under the wooden or metal legs to protect them from rust and to prevent carpet stains. Be very careful with MDF or chipboard furniture, as these materials absorb moisture quickly and should be removed from the wet area immediately.
Air circulation is an important part of the water damage restoration process. Open all doors and windows if the weather permits to get the drying process started. To assist in drying, turn on ceiling fans or pedestal fans. If the water damage occurs during the summer months, turn on your air conditioner. If it occurs during a cooler season, turn on your heat to help remove moisture from the environment.
Although it may be tempting to handle all of the cleanup work on your own, there are a number of hazards that you should avoid to prevent making matters worse. Keep in mind to never use any electrical appliances when standing on wet carpets or floors. Additionally, do not attempt to extract water using a standard household vacuum cleaner—this poses a severe risk of electrocution and will ruin your appliance. In all cases, only use mops and towels.
Also, if your apartment has tacked-down wall-to-wall carpeting, you should just leave it alone. In most cases, trying to remove wet carpeting without proper water damage restoration experience will cause it to shrink, which is considered a defect that cannot be repaired.
Water damage and bacterial growth start much sooner than most people think, usually within the first 24 to 48 hours. This means that time is your worst enemy. Do not think twice about reaching out to a professional water damage restoration service such as AllAces Cleaning & Restoration.
When you contact our team, having a few details ready will help us dispatch our technicians as effectively as possible. Please be prepared to provide your personal contact details, the specific areas and approximate size of the damaged zone in your apartment, the time the flood occurred, and the mitigation steps you have taken so far.
For rapid response and expert water damage restoration, call AllAces Cleaning & Restoration immediately at 1800 00 1010.
For the entire month of March, we are offering 50% OFF the use of our advanced odour removal technology on your next project. Contact us today at 1800 00 10 10 or enquiries@allaces.com.au for more information.