After a flood, it may seem as if your home and your possessions are beyond hope, but many of those belongings can likely be repaired. With the right process, you can clean up, dry out, rebuild and reoccupy your home much sooner than you may have previously imagined. First and foremost, you need to play it safe. Just because the waters are down, that does not mean the dangers have gone away. Your home may have a weakened foundation, a shorted electrical system, or remnants from the flood left behind that may make you sick. When in doubt, simply toss things out that can be replaced rather than risking infection or injury.

It is also vital that you ask for help. Many people can handle a great deal of the clean up and repairs, but if you have technical concerns, do not be afraid to ask for professional assistance.

Finally, it is vital that you flood proof because it is quite likely that your home will eventually become flooded again if it has flooded in the past. You can save your great deal of money by flood proofing during the repair and rebuilding processes. Here are a number of steps that will help you create a flood response plan.

Step 1 -

First and foremost you should take care of yourself and your family, alleviating any stress, fatigue and health issues that occur following a flood.

Step 2 -

The next step is to give your home some basic first aid, preventing any other damage from occurring to your possessions and the contents of your home.

Step 3 -

The third step is to get yourself organized, figuring out which items should be repaired and which should be thrown out, and more importantly, where to go from here.

Step 4 -

The fourth step is all about drying your home out, helping to reduce the hazards associated with mud, silt, contaminants and mold and mildew.

Step 5 -

The fifth step is to check on financial assistance because there are numerous options out there. There are voluntary agencies, insurance, businesses and other government disaster programs that may have the tools and resources that you need to get through the recovery process.

Step 6 -

Restore the Utilities, restoring electricity, clean water, heat and sewage disposal in order to make the rest of your work easier.

Step 7 -

The next step is the bulk of the cleanup, including the walls, the floors, the closets, the shelves, and everything else in your home. Everything needs to be washed and disinfected thoroughly.

Step 8 -

The eighth step is to rebuild and to flood proof your home. Take your time to do it correctly, making improvements that will better protect you should a flood ever occur again.

Step 9 -

Prepare yourself for the next flood by purchasing flood insurance, putting together an effective flood response plan and joining programs for community flood protection.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2009-02-02 05:50:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related Posts

• The Official Rent-A-Husband Guide to a Safe, Problem-Free Home: Quick, Easy, and Effective Solutions for Do-It-Yourselfer Improvements and Repairs The company was founded by Kaile Warren Jr, who at the time had a car accident. It left him nearly homeless, sleeping on the couches of his friends whenever possible. It was at this low point that at he decided to start his rent a husband business. In 1996, a......
• Review: Basic Home Repair: Home Improvement DVD The Basic Home Repair: Home Improvement DVD is designed to provide complete details and lessons on home repair topics including energy conservation, home security, replacing a faucet, sweating copper pipes, replacing toilets, unclogging drain clogs, replacing the caulk on a tub, replacing lighting fixtures, repairing broken lamps, replacing tiles that......
• How to Install Bathroom Tile Your choice of bathroom tile is extremely important for establishing the décor of your bathroom. However, no matter what fancy pattern and color scheme you choose, it won’t look good unless it’s installed properly. It can cost a fortune to have a contracted install bathroom tile for you, so you......
• Review: The Old House Handbook: The Essential Guide to Care and Repair by Roger Hunt, Marianne Suhr This tome is the authoritative guide to looking after an old home. These can include such houses as a medieval cottage, an urban terrace from the eighteenth century, or a Victorian development. This book builds upon the thoughts and works of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, approaching......
• Basic Tools – A Home Repair Guide Anyone who has had to hire someone to perform a simple home repair for them knows that it’s just not worth it. Repair services charge a lot to fix even the most basic problems, and if you have a major issue then it’s that much worse. Many people have been......

Related Websites

• How To Responsibly Dispose Of An Old Vacuum Cleaner. The following is a guest post from Judy Nguyen. As all things have an end, so do vacuum cleaners. We've seen it; An old vacuum cleaner collecting dust in the attic, or left by trash dumpster along with use mattresses and shelves, possibly by college students moving back home for......
• Selling Autographed Memorabilia Most of the people that own autographed memorabilia do not even think about parting ways with their beloved memorabilia. They look at their autographed memorabilia as true crowning achievements in their collections. Unfortunately, there may eventually come a time in their life where they need to part with their autographed......
• Water Damage Repair - How To Fix the Damage Fast Water damage repair after flooding, water breaks, leakage or other causes involves removing moisture and debris, and disinfecting as rapidly as possible to prevent the growth of mold and mildew. Once mold and mildew have infected your carpets, walls, furniture, etc., water damage repair becomes very difficult and some materials......
• Hoopnotica The hula hoop burst onto the scene in the 1950’s and it’s been a national pastime since. Most of us remember playing with them as kids, but by the time we get to be adults, we leave them behind. Little do most of us know that hula-hooping is actually very......
• How to Get Out of Trouble in the Real Estate Market If you invested in the real estate market recently and are now regretting that decision, there are a few ways that you can get out of financial trouble. For awhile, the real estate market was very solid and property values were going up. Many experts advised investing heavily in real......

Online Stores

• Possessions United States Stamps
• Clean Romance Books
• Banking, Insurance Advertising Collectibles
• Flood Light Bulbs Home Lighting
• Step Stools Kitchen Furniture Home Store

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.


Categories:

Handy Man, House Damage, Repair

Tags:

basic first aid, belongings, contaminants, disaster programs, electrical system, fatigue, financial assistance, flood proof, flood proofing, flood response, health issues, insurance businesses, left behind, mold and mildew, possessions, professional assistance, remnants, response plan, technical concerns, voluntary agencies