Summer is a great time for vacation. However, while you are away there is a range of disasters which could affect your property while you are away. Nobody likes to think about the idea, however, it’s better to be prepared. Returning home after a vacation to find that your home has suffered a burst pipe or other type of water damage is not a great scenario, but it can happen to anybody.

Do You Know How to React Should You Return Home to Find Water Damage?

Archer Cleaning & Restoration Services know a thing or two about restoring properties which have been damaged by water and other types of natural disaster and has prepared a basic first-step guide to how you can handle the situation should you return home to it.

Your Safety Is Always the First Priority!

All good disaster based articles start with a safety warning and this one is no different! When you return home and open the door to see your floor is flooded with water, the first thing that you will want to do is to rush inside to find the leak and stop it immediately. And while the thought may be good, the act is definitely not! Why? Because you don’t know what other dangers are present, let alone walking through a flood of water! Instead, find your way to the mains to your property and turn it all off. And this means all! Your water, your electricity, your gas, everything! Why? Because why take any unnecessary risks?

Now That the Mains Have Been Shut Off

Once you have the mains shut off it’s time to look for potential danger. For example:

• Look for any electrical sockets which have come into contact with water
• Look to your large furniture items to see if they are in danger of falling on you as you walk past them through the affected area
• Take a look to your ceiling for any bowing which indicates that there is a flood above you which could cause the ceiling to collapse at any moment
• If you can see through the water on the floor, look for any obstacles which could trip you up or any areas which could be slippery and cause you to fall over

Speak with a Professional

If you are unfortunate enough to return home to find water damage has affected your home it’s important to remember that remediation isn’t a DIY job. Instead, speak with a professional at Archer Cleaning & Restoration Services by calling (888) 436-3499 and arrange immediate inspection and assessment. Through years of experience, Archer Cleaning & Restoration Services are the best people to help you get your home back in order both quickly and safely.

Once the Area Is Safe

If you are confident that it is safe to enter your home, carefully make your way to where the leak could have come from. The most common places to inspect would be:

• Any leaking faucets which have been causing you trouble lately but you have been putting it off ‘until you have some free time’. These are often the cause of your water damage.
• Safely make your way to your kitchen. Given how often these faucets are used they are usually the first to go. It only takes a worn rubber seal to cause big trouble in your home.
• If there is a toilet which hasn’t been flushing lately or, any toilets at all in your home, check these next. Often times floods can occur slowly from a toilet which doesn’t empty completely and slowly continues to fill up until it leaks all over your bathroom and then into your home. Laundry appliances are the next items to check. Again, given how often these are used it is very possible that one of the rubber leaks has cracked or an attachment has cracked through age leading to a slow but steady leak while you were away.
• If you still can’t find the problem, take a tour of your home and listen for any leaking sounds or any hissing noises which could help you find the culprit.

Remove Items While You Wait

Once you have identified the problem and have stopped the leak, it’s time to think about which items to remove from your home while you wait for Archer Cleaning & Restoration Services to arrive. Start with any furniture which is in contact with the floor and water. Your couch and dining table and chairs are likely to be the most important as they will soak up water which can lead to serious mold damage. One by one, safely remove all of your furniture items out of your home and onto your front or backyard where they can bask in the summer sun and hopefully dry in time before any damage is done.

Archer Cleaning & Restoration Services and Their Professional Restoration Services in Target Are Just a Phone Call Away!

If you have returned home to find that water damaged has affected your home, whether it be from a leak or a severe storm, remember that Archer Cleaning & Restoration Services can help. Keep their number (888) 436-3499 handy so that you can easily make contact with them should the time come. Archer Cleaning & Restoration Services are experienced in not only returning properties to their former glory quickly, their expertise allows them to do it thoroughly and safely, ensuring that your home is ready for safe living as soon as possible.