What to Do When Water Leaks in Your Home

Long story short: fast action can minimize damage and inconvenience.

A homeowner’s worst nightmare is water leaks because they not only damage or destroy your belongings but they can also damage the structure of your home. Water leaks happen for various reasons and from many sources within our home: a burst pipe, overflowing sink, dripping dishwasher or other plumbing fixture. These things happen from time to time but what you do next is most important and can save you time, money and extended inconveniences.

If you have a water leak, here are some steps you can take to minimize the damage to your home and your belongings.

• Shut off the water to whatever appliance is leaking but is that is not possible shut off your home’s water altogether. Make sure you and everyone in your home know where the shut-off valves are so that this can happen no matter who finds the problem.
• If water is near electrical outlets, turn off the electricity at your fuse/breaker box and call an electrician before attempting anything else.
• Call a plumber and water removal expert. There are many who have 24/7 availability for emergencies. We, here at Southern Restoration and Construction, can be contacted and assist you at a moment’s notice. Don’t hesitate to contact us even for questions and clean-up.
• If you don’t need to turn off the electricity, turn on fans and a dehumidifier to start drying out wet areas as much as possible.
• If water is leaking from a ceiling, place a bucket under the leak (If the ceiling is “bowed”, there may be a significant amount of water in it. Use caution to prevent a ceiling collapse.)
• Use towels or mops to soak up as much water as possible, to prevent any further damage to structure or belongings.
• Use a wet/dry shop vacuum to pull water out of your carpet but be sure that the power cord is not near any water for safety reasons.
• Move all of your belongings to a safe and dry area.
• Put blocks under your furniture to raise it up off of the wet floor so that it is out of harms away as well.
• Contact your insurance company as soon as possible to file a claim.

If you have a current water problem, past water problem, or just have questions, do not hesitate to contact our experts at Southern Restoration and Construction. We can be reached at 704-579-6460 or through online submission.