Water can cause extensive damage to your home and can be expensive to repair. The most common sources of water damage are burst pipes, water heaters, HVAC leaks, roof leaks, and appliance failures. Information on how to prevent water damage to your home can be found here.
Acting quickly in the event of a water leak can shorten the time it takes to get your home back to normal and greatly lower the cost of those repairs. The longer water sits in your home, the more damage it causes through seepage and mold growth. Improperly dried water can also cause future problems in your home through rot and mold. The average cost of a water claim is approximately $7,000.
Taking the appropriate steps in the event of a water claim is also essential to limiting the amount of time your normal every day life will be affected by repairs and the potential need to stay outside your home. Below are the critical steps you should take in the event of a water leak in your home.
- Find the water cutoff switch and cut the water to your home or contact a professional to cut the water off for you to prevent more water from entering your home
- Immediately contact a professional mitigation company to start the drying process and prevent further damage and mold. Professional drying is key. Simply setting up box fans is not enough to ensure future issues will not arise.
- Contact your insurance agent to discuss your deductible and possibly starting a claim
- Keep in contact with the mitigation company throughout the drying process
- Contact the appropriate professionals to repair your home and the original source of the water damage
- Make sure both your agent and assigned claim representative are kept up to date with each step of the drying and repair process.