Water Disaster Tips

Prevention is key. However, things happen, especially living in the mountains. There are a few things you can do to help prevent water damage to your home.

Prevention and Good Practice

The advice given most by the experts is to turn off your water when you leave town, no matter what time of year it is. Hoses and supply lines can break any time of year. This is a good habit to get into. If you are on a well, simply shut off your well pump. This is done at the circuit breaker; it should be well marked. If you are on city water, turn off the main water line into your home. Shutting off the water to your washing machine is a good idea. Just remember to turn it back on before you do laundry. However, before you do this, have a qualified plumber check your system to make sure your boiler and water heater are not self-filling units. Most are, which means they pull water in as it evaporates or leaks. If they run low on water, the pumps could burn and break the boiler.

When Damage Occurs, Watch Out!

The number one danger associated with water damage is a slip-and-fall accident. People often don’t realize building materials and floor coverings are slick when they get wet.

Electrical shock is a big concern. Cords lying on floors, water running inside and outside walls or coming through the ceilings can short out appliances and outlets. Never turn lights on or off while standing in water. In all buildings, even with today’s electrical codes, improper installation or homeowner changes could compromise grounding circuits, allowing electrical currents to flow through living spaces without obvious indicators.

If you have assessed the dangers and it is safe to do so, find the source of the problem and turn off the water to that area. Often it means shutting off the main water source to the property.

If you don’t know how to shut off the water or if it is unsafe to access the shut off, call a licensed plumber or an IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certified) company or technician. If it is suspected that the water is sewer backup or has been there more than 48 hours, consider the water to be black water. Treat it as toxic. It could contain blood-borne illnesses such as Hepatitis A and B. These are real health issues and proper precautions should be taken to ensure personal safety.

If a company comes in to repair water damage, new Colorado and Federal laws mandate they test building materials for asbestos and lead before removing them. If the products test positive, they must be removed by a licensed firm. (In some instances a homeowner may remove the affected products themselves).

It is important to remove water and moisture from areas as quickly as possible to reduce damage to finishes and to the building’s structure, and to minimize the possibility of mold and fungus growth. Most insurance companies do not cover mold removal. Many policies have mold riders that can be purchased in addition to normal coverage but these have low limits. 
Remember, the faster you remove the water and humidity from a building affected by water damage, the greater the chances of limiting the damage to your property and the disruption to your life.

Grand Concierge, www.thegrandconcierge.com, (970) 531-6750, can check on your house, shut off the water, and get your house ready before you return.

If you arrive home to find water damage, call Construction By: Pat Rupert, (970) 726-8180, Bolen’s Cleaning and Maintenance (970) 726-9357, or Rocky Mountain Catastrophe, (970) 531-7308.