Dealing With Water Damage in Billings, MT
When you’ve had water damage in your home, it is important to take action quickly. You must let the experts handle it before mold or other bacteria takes over.
How To Cleanup After Water Damage in Billings, MT
Dealing with water damage and wondering how to clean up in Billings, MT? If so, you’ve come to the right article. Here you’ll find helpful tips on how to dry out your property and prevent mold from spreading.
Remove standing water
There are several ways to remove standing water. You can use a wet/dry vacuum, a mop or even a towel. You may need to remove carpeting and padding if they have been soaked through with water. Speak with your insurance agent before you do anything to make sure it is covered by your policy and that you will be reimbursed for the expense.
Clean, remove and dry
- Clean: This is the single most important thing you can do to prevent mold growth in your home. Mildew and mold spores are everywhere, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you don’t clean up after water damage, you will almost certainly experience mold growth.
- Disinfectants: The EPA recommends the use of a disinfectant that has been rated as effective against “mildew,” usually listed as “fungicide.” We recommend applying a bleach solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water) or using commercially available disinfectants from Home Depot or Lowe’s.
- Remove materials that are unsalvageable: Any porous materials like carpeting, drywall or insulation should be removed once they have been cleaned. They may potentially act as sponges for future moisture intrusion, leading to new problems down the road. Be sure to remove any non-porous building materials that cannot be cleaned effectively or thoroughly dried out, such as wet foam insulation.
- Dry out structure completely: As mentioned above, drying is an extremely important step in preventing future problems with your home’s building envelope and contents. In addition to removing moisture from the affected area and its contents (remember those wet towels), it’s critically important to get air moving through the water-damaged areas of your property. Options are opening windows, doors if possible and running fans whenever temperatures permit it.
Have a professional come out to inspect the property with moisture readings.
If you have any concerns that there may be water damage in your home, even if you don’t see it on the surface, then it’s important to have a professional come out to inspect the property with moisture readings. Moisture readings indicate where water damage has occurred and will help determine what needs to be replaced. If you are going through insurance, they need moisture readings to approve anything other than cosmetic repairs. A professional can help you determine where the water damage is so that you can get all of the areas taken care of before mold becomes an issue.
Decide on what you can keep and what needs to be replaced.
Your home is your largest financial asset. When you’ve suffered water damage, you might have to assess what needs to be replaced and what can be saved. You might not be able to tell the difference at times.
When deciding whether or not to keep an item or replace it, compare what you have with what you need. If it’s a good match, keep it. If something is broken, replace it. Keep in mind: if the item has sentimental value and can still be used, find a way to incorporate it into your life again!
Keep receipts, document loss of income due to this event, and submit to the insurance company if applicable.
If the water intrusion was caused by a covered peril, you may be able to submit a claim to your insurance company. To receive reimbursement for your loss, it is important that you document all losses and expenses related to the event as well as any income that you have lost due to this event.
Be sure to take pictures of all damaged items and save receipts for everything related to the cleanup. If you need help with submitting an insurance claim, we can assist in making sure you get reimbursed for the cost of your damages.
Billings Water Damage Cleanup
Faithful Cleaning provides you with the best way to clean up water damage from any Billings home. Whether you live in Billings and have experienced a water loss or you are relocating to our area, give us a call today. Our experienced technicians will quickly assess your water damage and use a variety of tools and techniques to get the job done right!
