If you've ever walked into a basement and felt something slippery and surely shouldn't be there, you know the panic water can bring into your home. Whether it's that overstuffed washing machine or the uninvited storm that's somehow managed to get through your roof, different water-in-the-home disasters require very different remedies.
*Squelchy basements require pumps, not towels.*
*Storm-wracked houses require... uh, not water, to start with.*
And then there's the leak that's really just your favorite hardwood floors inviting the least-inspired-looking patch of rigged-together boards to hold a watery dance party.
To identify which disaster you're dealing with is Job One; some solutions are worse than the problems they purport to solve, especially if they're applied in soggy areas they're not meant to resolve.
Now, let's address those types of water damage that are less dramatic yet often more sinister. You know, the kind that sneaks up on you, quietly, like when you find there to be a drip, drip, dripping in the wall behind your bathroom. This slow, insidious type attempts to become a hidden big problem long before you actually have to see it to believe it. Its signs can be so subtle that you might not notice until it's almost too late: a faint smell that seems to be musty, a small stain on the ceiling that is spreading, or a corner of the wallpaper that is definitely not flat. The odds are that addressing those issues means rolling up those sleeves and going beneath the surface to tackle mildew or moisture that's too close for comfort.
And then there are situations that escalate quickly and cause splashed water to be everywhere, folks to scramble, and decent attempts to be made in rescuing fallen electronics. Consider, if you will, coming home from a lovely weekend getaway only to find that your pipes had a bit of a meltdown while you were away. In these scenarios, time is of the essence. Be it a matter of needing to use the pump to send the water back where it came from or needing to use industrial fans in the attempt to dry out the aftermath, acting swiftly in these kinds of situations can prevent further damage and keep your home safe. Remember, every second counts when you're up against fast-flowing water, and knowing the right steps to take can turn potential residential disaster into a manageable situation.