"My House Is Soaked What Do I Do?"
All kinds of water damage can happen to the homeowner living in Houston or in nearby coastal towns like Galveston. Whether you simply neglected a running bath too long or the recent Hurricane out of the Gulf flooded your carpet in water several feet deep; repairing water damage requires immediate and deliberate action on the part of the homeowner. People frequently fail to take the appropriate steps to repair water damage out of fear of the expense.
Indeed, water damage restoration may be an expensive process but cost varies widely depending on the severity of the damage and how quickly the homeowner decides to do something about it. Water damage clean up is not fun. However, failure to act against water damage can jeopardize the value of your home, your greatest asset, and even put the health of your family at risk. So if you are sitting at home now looking at a flooded basement or a soaked carpet and wondering what you do, take it one step at a time and work your way through this 9 step action plan:
1. Shut off your electricity. Be wary of power failure as the power can suddenly come back on.
2. Check your walls for signs of structural damage. Drywall doesn’t like lots of water and prolonged exposure to moisture can lead to both rot and mold.
3. Turn off gas to the house. It is better safe than sorry.
4. Take pictures for insurance purposes. This is good just in case you decide to file a claim. If you are going to report it you want to do it within the first 24 hours but don’t call your insurance company just yet. More on this a little later.
Houston & Texas news from the Houston Chronicle
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02/08/2010 Metro train, bus collide in downtown Houston |
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02/08/2010 Officer wounded in west Houston The officer, identified by HPD this afternoon as Frank L. Pierce, underwent surgery this afternoon. He was listed as critical but stable. |
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02/08/2010 Palin backs Perry, ‘won’t close door’ on 2012 The Republican rock star tied her trademark anti-Washington message to the re-election of a Texas governor battling a longtime U.S. senator. |
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02/08/2010 Border Patrol opens fire after boat pelted with 'objects' Jose Trevino said agents feared for their safety Monday morning when the objects hit the boat in the river that divides the U.S. and Mexico. The incident happened about 8 a.m. near the border city of McAllen, about 250 miles south of San Antonio |
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02/08/2010 The contradictory life of Michael Jackson's doctor Dr. Conrad Murray, the Houston doctor charged Monday with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson, came to the world's attention as a result of his $150,000-a-month job as the glitzy pop singer's personal physician, but spent much of his life among the poorest of the poor. |