Your home is not just four walls sheltering you against the environment. Your home has a personality, a character of its own. For this reason, many people consider that their homes have a life of their own, and just like every other living thing, they can get sick or hurt. Only, you see these damages in the form of leaky faucets or flooding in the basement.
While it can get overwhelming to maintain your home, it is necessary for its safety and yours. It is a tough job that you must be ready to work on whenever you detect the problem. For example, you may come home exhausted from a day’s work only to find that the dishwasher is leaking water on the kitchen floor. Or maybe that the old appliance you refuse you give up causes a short-circuit fire in your home. While the latter is one of the worst-case scenarios, it is technically not far-fetched. Many instances have occurred when small mistakes such as leaving your hair straightener working or old appliances over-heating have caused immense damage. Considering that, it is best to have an idea about the types of house damages and what steps you should take against them.
Fire Damage
We commonly assume that everything in our home has no faults. All the electrical wiring is perfect, and our appliances are capable of no-fault. But the truth is that there is a staggeringly high ratio of house fires starting as a result of appliance damage or electrical wiring damage. Apart from that, humans are prone to making mistakes. In some cases, they will need much more significantly helpful resources to correct their errors. But once the fire dies down, you must start the restoration process. Fire damage could lead to the requirement of the following repairs:
Close Up Open Holes
Fire damage tends to impact windows and doors the most. Therefore, start by closing up the holes in the door and window. Next, you can use boards and nail them on the wood to close up the space or replace the whole thing. This will work as the first stepping stone to your home restoration after fire damage and will protect the interior from harsh elements.
Dry Out
You may not think fire damage will have you dealing with water damage, but it does. In fact, fire damage is one of the leading causes of heavy water damage to the home. For example, firefighters will need to use a pressure water hose to stop the fire. But once the fire is put out, all you’re left with is soot and water. Apart from that, fire can damage plumbing by melting the pipes and other parts. Therefore, once the fire is out, you will need to clean up the soot and water so that you can prevent more damage.
Content Cleaning And Restoration
Your windows, walls, and doors aren’t the only thing that will suffer because of fire. You will need to consider your personal belongings and appliances as well. Start by making an inventory of all the stuff you have lost to fire. If possible, request an insurance claim for these belongings. Next, take a list of stuff that is beyond saving and belongings you can still restore. You can find many experts willing to restore appliances and personal belongings to better shape after fire damage. Therefore, seek their expertise rather than experimenting and damaging your fragile belongings. Meanwhile, if you are engaged in the real estate business and yet you are so busy and don’t have enough time to handle these concerns, the best thing that you can do is to hire a competent property manager. Contact the most trusted property manager Albert Park to handle all real estate-related issues on your behalf.
Water Damage
Water damage is brutal to deal with as it can take so many forms. Most of the water damage typically occurs due to heavy rainfall, floods, leakage, pipe bursts, etc. However, no matter the extent, you have to deal with the damage immediately because it will only create more issues if left too long. That is because most of the standard construction material quickly absorbs water and moisture, which can lead to mold. Therefore, it is best to fix water damage immediately. Some steps to take are:
Locate The Water Source
There is no point dealing with the leak and water if you don’t deal with the source first. Locating and observing the water source also educates you about the type of damage you should be expecting. For example, black water contamination can cause major health concerns because of harmful bacterial organisms. Therefore, coming into contact with black water will only put your health in danger. In such cases, call a professional to assess the type and source of damage.
Eliminate Excess Water And Moisture
If a pipe burst leaves a pool of water in its wake, then you must clean it immediately so that it doesn’t cause more damage. If there is a small quantity, you can use a wet vacuum to clean it. However, if there is a large pool of water, you will need to use a water pump.
Dry The Affected Area
Once you remove the water, you can dry the area completely by opening a window or setting up a fan in that place. However, if the damage was on a larger scale, you may need a dehumidifier to remove all the moisture in the air, drying the area quickly. This step will help in eliminating mold that only needs moisture to spread and grow.
Clean And Disinfect
Whether it is black water, grey water, or clean water, it never hurts to take an extra step and disinfect the area. You should clean and disinfect the floor and all the appliances and furniture that came in contact with the water. If your belongings are damaged beyond saving, then throw them out.
While there can be many reasons for house damage, fire and water damage are still the leading causes. Fire and water damage can attack your home from inside. And if you don’t tend to your home quickly, it will fall apart like wet paper. Therefore, in case of fire and water damage, seek professional help first. Let them assess the damage, make significant restoration, and guide you properly. Then, you can work on their guidance to save, disinfect, and restore your home.