"My House Is Soaked What Do I Do?"
Whether you simply neglected a running bath too long or the recent storm soaked 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.
NYC news from the New York Times
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01/04/2009 Home, Sweet, Elusive Home The sunlit studio on the fourth floor of the West Village town house was not his first apartment, but leaving proved unexpectedly wrenching. more info |
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01/03/2009 In Queens: A Melting Pot, and a Closed Book He hoped to find in Queens the exoticism he loved from his years abroad. But again and again, the doors to this world slammed shut. more info |
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01/03/2009 Apartment Lost, Home Found Pushed out of Park Slope by the forces of gentrification, he finally ended up just a mile from his birthplace in the Bronx. more info |
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01/05/2009 The City Visible: The United Nations of Queens A photographer from Belle Harbor captures the face of a borough transformed by rich ethnic diversity. more info |