What to Do When You Have Water Damage
The Property Medics restores water damage faster than other contractors in northern Utah. We have restored countless water losses and know exactly what needs to be done to get you back to pre-loss condition quickly.
It’s important to act fast because any delay in responding not only can cause additional damage to occur, but many insurance policies require that you do everything you can to protect the property from additional damage.
The Property Medics will bill your insurance company directly and all necessary work will be performed with as little inconvenience and intrusion as possible. So call our 24-hour emergency line and we’ll be on our way fast.
Until we arrive, here are some things you can do to minimize additional damage and speed the process of getting you back to normal.
- If you can access circuit breakers safely, turn off power in all affected areas.
- If the water source is a leak, turn off the water at the shut-off valve if it can be accessed safely.
- If practical, mop the wet area, or blot the water with towels.
- Remove anything that could cause staining on wet carpets, rugs or floors, such as newspapers, books and magazines.
- Remove lamps and items from wood furniture and wipe the surfaces.
- Remove wet upholstery cushions and prop them up in a dry area.
- Place foil or plywood under furniture legs to separate them from wet carpet, rugs or flooring.
- Remove all moisture sensitive items from the affected areas and put them in a dry, safe place.
- Use clothespins to hold furniture skirts off of damp floors.
- Hang to dry any draperies that have come into contact with wet carpeting.
- Hang to dry any affected furs and leather goods to dry at room temperature.
- If the water did not originate from a clean source and is clearly contaminated, avoid all contact with wet areas.
- If you have come into contact with contaminated water, wash affected areas immediately.
- Do not spread water from room to room if the wet areas are clearly contaminated.
- Heating or air conditioning units can spread contaminated air, so avoid turning them on.
- Do not enter any room where there is an electric shock hazard from exposed outlets, switches, circuit breakers or equipment.
- Do not use any electrical appliance, including ceiling fixtures or fans, while standing on wet carpet, concrete or flooring of any type.
- Never try to extract water with a household vacuum cleaner or use household fans to attempt to dry the structure. These machines could get damaged or you could suffer an electric shock.
