How to dry out your home after water damage or flood?

Before you begin

Take plenty of photographs of the damage before beginning work. This will help with insurance claims and adjustments. Be sure to include photos of damaged structures, as well as items from the affected areas.

Observe and Repair any locations where water can reenter the building, including roof damage. Repairs can be temporary but plan on them needing to last several weeks. Use tarps or plywood covered with tar paper to patch a roof, for example.

You can also call the flood drying service of your area for help.

Circulate air

Drying and circulating air is crucial in dealing with water damage. Open the windows once conditions outside are suitable. If it’s safe to use electricity, set up fans to help circulate air throughout the space. Pedestal fans can be directed to dry higher areas, circulators, and blower fans can powerfully move air lower to floor level, and window fans can bring in and circulate fresh air from outside.

Now, open cabinet and closet doors, remove drawers in furniture or cabinetry to permit air to maneuver and dry out impacted areas. Avoid using a central air or heating system with any ductwork that has been submerged, as that could blow mold, dirt, or other contaminants into the living space.

Clean and prevent mold

If recovering from a significant flood, it’s important that all surfaces that could have been in contact with bacteria that came up through sewers, etc. are fully disinfected by professionals. If dealing with a clean leak from rainwater or pipes, disinfection isn’t as high of a priority, but always a safe choice. Check out this article that gives simple ways to clean green and reduce mold in your home.

Using a bleach mixture or other mold preventative solution, address any surface area that was exposed to the water leak or flood. Apply specialty mold preventative according to manufacturer directions, or lightly spray and wipe down a bleach mix to ensure no mold spores survive.

Once you’ve gone through the process of drying out your space, it will be time to start the repair and rebuilding phase.