How can I deal with water damage in my North London home?
Flooding can be one of the most devastating types of damage to your North London home. After the worst of the flooding recedes and you’ve ensured your family’s safety, you wonder, what next? In this guide from Damp Proof London, you’ll read what steps to take when dealing with water damage.
Turn Off the Power
If it’s safe, try to turn off the electricity in your North London home. Water can damage your home’s circuitry significantly, so it’s ideal to switch off the power in the event of flooding. If it’s not safe to cut off your home’s power – requiring you to stand in wet or flooded areas, for example – then leave the power alone and call a certified electrician.
Types of Water
There are three types of water that can cause damage to your home. The first, most harmless, type is “clean” water. It comes from rain, leaky pipes, or condensation. You can usually clean up this type of water yourself. Next, there’s gray water, resulting from appliances in your home that use detergents like dishwashers, washing machines, and clean toilets. If you have the proper safety gear and follow careful procedures, you can remove gray water yourself.
Finally, you have black water. This type comes from sewage or flooding of nearby rivers. You should never try to clean up black water yourself, as it can cause serious health problems. Always call water damage and damp proofing experts to clean up black water.
Look for Mould
Right away, you should look for signs of mould. Mould and mildew can start growing in under 24 hours. If the mould is contained to a small area or material, cut it away, bag it, and toss it out. If the mould is more substantial, vacate the area, stop up airflow, and call damp proofing experts.
Dry Out
Once you’ve safely assessed mould, your next concern is drying out your flooded North London home. You want to eliminate all of the moisture in your home so you can effectively carry out repairs. Large fans to circulate air work well, but more damage might require renting a humidifier. A large-capacity humidifier will remove all the excess moisture in the wood, carpet, or other porous materials.
Throw Away Damaged Materials
Once everything is dry, inspect for damaged porous materials. Carpet, fabric, and similar items are almost impossible to remove moisture from. If you can’t salvage the materials, you should throw them away. Cement, drywall, or wood that’s unsealed also count as porous materials, so you may have to dispose of those as well. After you’ve tossed out the damaged stuff, thoroughly disinfect the remaining items. A bleach solution will prevent mold spores from lingering.
Check Ceilings, Wood, then Floors
Turning your attention to the structural damage of your flooded North London home, you should check your ceilings first. If they contain significant water damage, they could crumble and fall on you, creating a hazardous situation. Next, inspect and replace warped or rotting wood. Wood floors and beams might need to be replaced; remember to clean thoroughly underneath boards before placing the new ones. After assessing damage to ceilings and wood, check your floors – carpets and floorboards. If there’s water damage to your floors you’ll have to replace them, allowing you to install damp proofing materials to prevent any future damage.
Replace Drywall
Next, assess your drywall. It will need replacing if it’s swelled 3/8 of an inch or more from the baseline. If there’s not that much swelling, you can simply cut out the pieces that are water-damaged or water-stained.
Check External Siding
After having assessed the internal water damage to your North London home, you should check for external repairs. Water can seep in behind your siding and cause permanent damage. You should, therefore, do a thorough inspection of your exteriors.
Caulk and Repaint
Now that you’ve removed the water, excess moisture, and damaged materials from your house you can paint and stain your new walls, floorboards, etc. To keep water damage at bay in the future, you should also seal and caulk your home’s new materials.
Dealing With Water Damage in Your North London Home – Call Professionals
Water damage is complicated and overwhelming, leaving most homeowners feeling lost when it happens to them. Depending on the severity of your damage, your best option could be calling water damage and damp proofing professionals. Experts will know which steps to take and the actions to prioritise in the event of a flooded North London home. You can also rest assured that damp proofing experts will help return your home to its previous state as quickly as possible.
