Accidents are sudden, especially water damages. Water damage can come in any form: a leak in your hot water heater, a break in the water main in front of your house, or a basement flood. Though sometimes you can’t prevent these accidents from happening and will need ServiceMaster Restoration by Zaba to help you repair any water damage, you can prevent your house from further damage by practicing some precautionary measures and ensure you get the insurance claim.
- Try to stop the damage
Find the source of the water leak and try to fix it. If the damage is beyond fix, cut the supply of water. Call a professional plumber to stop the water flooding as soon as possible. Remove the water that has seeped in immediately to limit the damage and protect belongings that aren’t damaged. Clean the affected areas and items exposed to water.
- Cut the danger
Close your gas lines and turn off the power. This step has to be taken mandatorily for the safety of your family. It reduce risk of more accidents like a short circuit and fire.
- Call your insurance broker
Call your insurer as soon as possible if you have suffered water damage. He’ll ask you to describe the exact circumstances of the loss in order to establish whether your policy covers the damage. Depending on the type, and the extent of the damage, he’ll tell you what to do. If you are not able to reach him, call your company’s 24-hour claim line and explain your situation.
- Start the drying process
Water blocked in your home can damage your flooring, walls, ceiling and your valuables. Remember that air circulation is the key to completely drying out a structure. Heaters or air conditioners should not be used to force the drying process. If you force your house to dry too quickly, additional damage to the building elements will occur. If you are going forward with your claim, your insurance company will send a pre-approved restoration company over to dry everything out.
- Note down the damaged items for insurance claim
Make a list of the items destroyed and take photos or a video to document the loss. If the damage items are not hazardous to your health, do not throw it away, sort through them outside your home. Keep invoices and vouchers of the damaged items and expenses incurred.
Taking these measures will not only prevent damage to a greater extent but also ensure that you can restore your home back with minimum costs.