ATTN Homeowners: YOU have a duty to mitigate.
What does it mean to mitigate? Let’s walk through preventing further damage if/when water damage occurs…
STOP the Madness & Turn Off the Water
Hey Homeowners, do YOU know where your water shut-off is in your home? Let’s start there. If you cannot check this box, do not pass go, & do not collect two hundred dollars.
To find your water shut off, start by checking your utility closet or space in your home. If you are still not able to locate it, it’s time to phone another grown-up. It’s very likely that a neighbor, friend, or family member can help you locate the water shut-off valve in your home.
You will need this information at some point while owning your home. Whether you have a situation where it is your duty to mitigate, or, you’ll be traveling for an extended period of time & would like to take another step to prevent something sudden & accidental from occurring when you’re away, you will be thankful to know exactly where your water shut-off valve is.
Finally, once you find it — tag it!
Tagging your water shut-off valve will make it easier for others in your household to find, or someone watching your home to locate it if/when the water needs to be shut off to your home.
Duty to Mitigate: Your Stuff is NOT Fish
With safety in mind, remove any of your personal belongings from the areas in your home experiencing water damage if/when something sudden & accidental occurs. Next, prioritize your belongings that are closest to the unwanted & unplanned water in your home & get them out of the way to an unaffected area of your home, your garage, outside, or elsewhere that is not wet.
Promptly removing your personal items from water damage yields a chance for a personal property restoration company to be able to restore them. Yes, you & your belonging, even the sentimental belongings have a chance to be restored as if water damage never occured in your home.
Don’t forget your pets bed & their toys. Everything matters even more once something sudden & accidental occurs.
Open Windows & Throw Down Some Towels
After water damage occurs in your home, the easiest & most efficient way to mitigate is to open windows in the affected area(s) & to throw down any towels to help absorb the water. Depending on how much water is present & unwanted in your home, towels may totally take care of it, or, they could be a hopeless longshot.
Otherwise, helpful tools to fulfill your duty to mitigate water damage in your home that you may already have on hand include fans &/or a dehumidifier. If available, using these items can help further mitigate water damage in your home.
It’s Time for the Professionals, Duty to Mitigate
Once you’ve shut off the water to your home or otherwise stopped the source of the water loss occurring in your home, it’s time to call the professionals. While it’s still recommended to continue to mitigate with a combination of what’s available to you including opening windows, soaking up water using towels, using fans &/or a dehumifier — it’s now time to call for professional help.
Nationwide there are vetted, insured, trained, & experienced water mitigation companies ready 23/7/365 to help folks such as yourself after something sudden & accidental occurs, especially as it pertains to water damage.
Whether you live in a metropolitan area, mid-market, or rural area — there is a mitigation company to finish what you started.
Do you have a list of emergency numbers on your fridge or saved in your phone? ServiceMaster Restore &/or SERVPRO should be included in the event water unexpectedly intrudes & invades your home.
While You’re Waiting: Take Photos &…
Whether it be ServiceMaster Restore, SERVPRO, or another mitigation company that is on your way to help with the water damage in your home, take some photos while you are waiting for them to arrive.
Take photos of the damaged area of the home. Also, take photos of any of your personal property affected. Finally, if you can capture a photo or 2 of where the water originated from, your insurance company will find this helpful in helping you through the claims process.
Speaking of the claims process, call your agent. You need to call your agent, or, the person that sold you your insurance policy to file a claim. If you don’t recall the name of the person who sold you your insurance policy, try to remember the carrier or company’s name that you are with. Often it’s easy to do an online search & find their website & you will find a number to call to notify them of the damage you have had in your home.
It’s important that after a water loss occurs in your home you make contact with your agent or carrier ASAP to help simplify the claims handling policy for you & to expedite the restoration process that follows mitigation.
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