Getting Rid Of Standing Water: The First Step In Water Damage Restoration
Water is essential when it comes to sustaining life, but water can also be one of the most destructive forces in nature. Flooding from a burst pipe, overflowing toilet, or heavy rain can cause significant damage to your home. Removing excess water from your property is a critical first step in restoring any items within your home that have been damaged by water.
There are a few different ways that you can get rid of standing water, and knowing about these methods will allow you to use the technique best suited to dry out your home following a flood.
Manual Removal
The slowest and most labor-intensive way to remove standing water from your home is with buckets, a mop, and towels or sponges. Some floods will compromise the safety of your home's electrical system. This prevents the use of a wet/dry vacuum or other motorized equipment when it comes to eliminating standing water.
You will need to scoop water out with buckets and pour it onto a permeable surface (like your lawn). This method of water removal will take longer than other methods, but it can save your home from mold growth and other problems associated with standing water.
Suction
If you still have electrical access in your home following a flood, then you can safely utilize mechanical tools to help you remove standing water. Be sure to plug your wet/dry vacuum into an outlet that is located a safe distance from the standing water.
Avoid the use of extension cords, as the connection point between the cords could produce a shock that will travel through the standing water and into your body. A wet/dry vacuum can suction up standing water from carpet, hardwood, and upholstered surfaces, allowing you to begin the restoration process within your home.
Sump Pump
If the flooding in your home was severe and there are several inches of standing water inside your residence, you might need to rent a sump pump from your local hardware store. These pumps are designed to move a high volume of water from one place to another.
You can funnel water out of your home and into a safe disposal area on your lawn using a sump pump. Be sure that you invest in a rental sump pump that is powerful enough to handle the volume of water left within your home after a flood to make water damage restoration a lot easier.