It’s been a long day. You walk into your home ready to kick off your shoes and relax. You head downstairs to your finished basement, it’s become the TV room, ready to lie on the couch and watch your favorite show. As you head down the stairs you are met with absolute horror. There is about an inch of standing water on your basement floor. Immediately you begin grabbing as many towels as you can and begin ringing them out into a bucket. Finally, you decide to grab the shop vacuum in hopes that it will do a quicker job. You start opening up windows, you grab a fan to help dry up the water. You can’t get the job done fast enough. You think to yourself, “Can I do this myself or should I call for help?”
When a home is not properly cleaned after floodwaters have occurred and a person attempts to fulfill the job themselves without the help of a professional it can end in more harm than good. Often times the cleaning, drying, and disinfecting processes aren’t done correctly which can result in leaving your home as an unhealthy and potentially moldy environment. There are many reasons as to why you should always call for professional help in a situation where you find your home flooded. It is unfortunately not a time to try to do the job alone. Here are a few reasons why calling a professional is best rather doing it yourself:
Flood water is contaminated
Professionals check the level of toxicity in the floodwater. Depending on the levels, it will determine the kind of procedure that needs to be done to take full precaution measures. If you try to do the cleaning without a professional and don’t properly clean even a piece of furniture in the correct way you could potentially cause a family member to get sick. The procedure also includes a thorough evaluation of your possessions that may have been affected. They will know best as to what is acceptable to keep and to discard.
Gravity pulls water
Water travels, and when there is standing water it is easy to see and remove it. However, it is the unseen water that gravity pulled down into the cracks of your home that the water damage is left unaddressed. It is when you can’t fully determine all and where the water has landed in a quick and timely manner that black mold will enter the premises. The professional will have adequate equipment to detect all moisture within the home, giving you a fighting chance in preventing a mold outbreak.
Beware of mold
Once all water has been located mold inhibitors are placed in all wet areas to slow down the growth of mold allowing a few days for the drying process to take place without the fear of it growing deep within your home. All surfaces must be dried to a very specific moisture level to be considered safe from mold and there is really only a limited time window. Professionals have fans and air movers that work quicker and more effectively than just a regular home fan. Cleaning a flood situation in a precise manner fully depends on how quickly you are able to get all the water up. If it takes you several hours to even remove the water thoroughly, mold has already set in.
Equipment is essential
A professional has the right equipment to fully get the job done quickly and effectively. They have equipment that measures the moisture in the room and a dehumidifier that prevents the onset of mold growth. They are equipped with fancy shop vacuums that rotate around a room sucking up all excess water within the home. A professional has the ability to fully dry the affected area with different types of air movers that creates a good airflow throughout the room. They even know the right pattern and the best way to place these pieces of machinery to get the job done well. For hardwood floors, they have special floor mats that draw water up and out. This equipment is specifically designed to clean effectively and in a timely manner, it truly expedites the process. When the work is completed by a professional you can have complete peace of mind knowing your home is fully restored.
It is the professional’s responsibility to make sure that your home is back to its original state as best as possible. They are trained to clean, dry and disinfect your home in a way that leaves it free from contamination and mold. So, rewind! When you walk into your home and head down to your basement and come across standing water you will not attempt the job on your own. In fact, you will not let another moment go by without calling a professional to get the job done right. You may attempt to soak up some of the water but it is after you have alerted the professionals and they are on their way to rescuing your home from water damage and a major outbreak of mold. Protect your home, protect your family and if you come across the horror of floodwaters invading your home, make the choice to call.
