Flood Damage Restoration Tips

Flood is one of the most dangerous natural disasters which can cause a lot of damage to our homes and also businesses. In Canada, floods are common, and they come along with so much damage. Floods cause loss or damage to both lives and properties.  Flood damage restoration experts share some useful tips below:

Steps to Take Before Floods

1. Prepare

They say a better remedy for a disastrous situation is preparedness. If you’re living in Canada, you will have to brace yourself because floods are frequent.  

Do not assume that floods cannot affect you because you don’t live on floods prone areas and fail to follow preparation steps. Floods can affect anyone, and they do not give a warning to anyone.

Below are some of the tips to help you prepare before disaster strikes:

• Get enough education about floods and put enough energy in flood safety because that is what will save your life and that of your family.
• Do not wait for the weather forecasters to tell you to repair your home. Do this beforehand to prevent damages.
• Improve your drainage systems
• Buy equipment for disaster preparations. These are the clean-up supplies and safety gears. 

2. Awareness

Read and watch the news every time to increase your awareness because there are areas that are usually at a higher risk of floods than other places. Make it a routine to know what’s happening around you. You never know, this might save your life.

3. Make use of Flood Maps

Flood maps are helpful because they provide flood information. They can be found on the Canadian Disaster Database. Sometimes flood maps change because of human activities which lower or increase the risks. Before you buy a house, make use of the maps before purchasing.  

4. Alert Systems

The National Public Alerting System in Canada does a great job of alerting the resident’s oncoming disasters. They usually warn the citizens by texts or other means like radio warnings and social media.

Prevent Flood Damages In Your Home

It’s hard to prevent flooding from taking place, but you can take precautions to avoid total damages in your home. Some of the tips to help minimize flood damages are:

• Improve Drainage

Ensure that you clean your drainage system from time to time. Try your best to clean your gutters at least once every year. If your gutters aren’t cleaned, they will block and cause stagnant water on your foundation, which results in leakage in the house.

• Seal Cracks

Check to see if there are any cracks in your home and seal them up using a good protective sealant. If you see bigger cracks, you should call your structural engineer immediately to help you do the work. Don’t ignore any crack even if it’s on the door, window or basement.

• Prevent Backflow

To prevent backflows, buy yourself a check valve. This will help a backflow from the sewer during floods. Get a professional plumber to help you install the valve and test if it’s working perfectly.

• Get a Power Back Up

If you can afford it, install a generator. This will help you operate your home devices, so you do not miss out on news updates in case of a power outage. If you’ve got a sump pump, a generator can also be essential because it will help suck water out of your basement.

• Have a Backup Plan

As you’re preparing your home in case of floods, you should also consider evacuation to be on the safer side. If you get a warning about floods, take all the important possessions and move out to a safer place. Gather your important documents so that you can easily access them in case of any emergency.

• Prepare Your Emergency Kit

Ensure that you replace the expired items in the emergency kit with fresh items frequently. An emergency kit usually contains items that can cover the whole family for about three days.

What to Do During Floods

You’re home and notice that floodwaters are forming? Take the following steps to remain safe:

• Follow the instruction of the authorities.
• Stay away from electrical cords.
• Keep off the flooding water because moving water can easily sweep you away.

DON’T

• Drive over bridges if the water is raised above its normal levels.
• Drive through moving water
• Go out when there are thunderstorms

What to Do After the Floods? Gather Clean-Up Equipment and Clean Your Home

This is a very crucial point; ensure that you have all the equipment needed for flood clean up. These are:-

• Gloves
• Rubber Boots
• Garbage bags
• Detergent
• Goggles
• Submersible pumps
• Fans
• Dehumidifier
• Masks
• Dry/wet shop vacuum
• Mops and sponges

These are some of the larger equipment that you can rent if you don’t have them. 

• Get Rid of Water

Start by removing stagnant water using pumps and then eliminate any wet items. Use the detergent to clean your furnishings. You can dry your seats outside on the sun or use the dry/wet vacuum to dry them up.

• Get Rid of Wet Items

Dispose of any wet things that haven’t dried for two days.

• Clean and dry the house 

Use the humidifier to remove moisture and use fans that are high powered to fasten up the drying process. This is very important for the prevention of moulds. Dry the surfaces that had water with the vacuum.

Conclusion

Cleaning up the house after floods can be a very hectic task. Some professionals are willing to help clean up at a fee. If you feel the job is too much, you can contact cleaning companies to help you out.