4 Tips for Cleaning Up After a Flood

9/3/2020 (Permalink)

Drying equipment in Jacksonville, FL

Tips To Restore Your Home After Flooding

Recovering your Jacksonville, FL, home after a flood is often an uphill battle. It can be difficult to even figure out where to start with the various cleanup requirements necessary to return your life to normal. Here are four tips for beginning to restore your home after flooding.

1. Recover your valuables. Floodwater can damage furniture, appliances, and woodwork. Salvage as much furniture as possible after you evaluate the extent of the damage. Mattresses and upholstery absorb contaminants, so you should discard them. Take other furniture, clothing, and fabrics outside and leave them to dry.

2. Remove water and mold. Wet insulation damages floorboards and drywall. You should remove the floor covering to dry out the sub-floor. Drywall should be replaced, but flood technicians can recover the interior wall by performing a flood cut, which is when they remove a portion of drywall 12 inches above the flood's line. Preventing mold from growing in your home is also crucial during a flood clean, so use a dehumidifier to reduce the humidity level.

3. Restore air conditioning. Water can get trapped inside ducts, which carry air from and into HVAC units. Drain the water and scrape trapped mud and debris that could impact air quality. Checking to see if the water impacted electrical wiring and discarding damaged units are other cleaning requirements.

4. Rinse and clean supplies. A flood disinfectant can remove stains from countertops and appliances. There are several kinds of detergent you can use. Chlorine bleach works for most supplies, but you should use only hot water to rinse silverware. Quickly wipe everything down within 24 to 48 hours to prevent contaminants from spreading in your home.
Keeping these tips in mind will save you time and reduce costs. If scraping air ducts and other post-flood cleaning requirements seem out of your league, however, don't hesitate to enlist the help of a trained water damage repair professional to restore your home to its former condition.