A burst or broken pipe sends alarm bells ringing and rightly so. The water damage caused by a broken pipe doesn’t usually leave you with a lot of time to waste. Action has to be taken quickly as time is of the essence in this situation. It would immensely help you if you knew the exact strategy that you should follow in such a scenario. Therefore, let’s go over the useful steps you should take to clean up water damage from a broken pipe.
Turn Off Your Water Supply
First things first, the water has to be shut off right at the source. This almost sounds like common sense, but in the heat of the moment, most people seem to forget about it as they panic. Usually, the main shut-off valve that controls the water supply to the house is located in the basement or a crawl space located in the lower parts of the house. If you don’t have a basement, look for it in the utility room. Turning it off as soon as you find out about the broken pipe will limit any further water damage.
Call In the Professionals
Water damage scenarios such as these require professional cleanup. The risks are too great in case you mess up the cleanup by doing it yourself, which you most likely will, given the lack of knowledge and access to professional tools and equipment. So first things first, call in a professional and then, in the meanwhile, you can attempt to salvage what you can. STOP Restoration is only a call away.
Assess the Damage and Salvage What You Can
Once you have cut the water supply to the broken pipe by shutting off the main line and have called in for professional assistance, stand back and take a moment to assess the damage. Then get to work right away. Just move your furniture and other valuables away from the water as quickly as you can.
Extract Standing Water
Please note that you should only start working on this if the professionals are going to take really long to show up at your home. Although, it won't be long before professionals from STOP Restoration will be at your doorsteps soon, use whatever you can to remove the standing water from the area in the meanwhile. A pump works tremendously to extract the standing water, and you can conveniently rent one from your local hardware store. However, even if you can’t get your hands on one, you can always use sponges, towels, or mops to soak up the standing water. The goal here is to try to get rid of as much water as possible.
Again, don’t try this yourself unless you absolutely have to. In most cases, you should just wait for the professionals to show up.
Call the professionals and then make use of the tips mentioned above to try and mitigate the damage while help is on its way. If you’re looking for water damage restoration services in Fort Worth, Texas, or any of the adjoining areas such as Benbrook, Arlington, Burleson or North Richland Hills, give STOP Restoration a call on 682-703-0213. We will provide meticulous cleanup services and also move all of your damaged items from the affected areas.
