7 Compelling Reasons Why You Should Not Attempt DIY Flood Damage Repair

The aftermath of a flood can be devastating – the damage unimaginable. What can come as the biggest shock to most home owners is how quickly the flood waters come rushing into their home and the destruction it leaves in its wake. At times like this, it’s difficult to know where to start with flood damage repair. Should you attempt to do the cleanup yourself or should you call in a professional?

Your first instinct may be to jump in and start clearing out the water and removing all water-laden furniture and items around the house. Before you do that however, you should know that DIY flood damage repair is highly inadvisable. Here are some of the more compelling reasons why this is not something you should attempt to do yourself.

1. The Risk of Getting Electrocuted is Real

Faulty wiring poses a real danger of electrocution whenever there is any buildup of water. All it takes is for one exposed electrical wire to come in contact with water for a person to get electrocuted. This can happen even if only a little water has come into your home. If you decide to go ahead and try and repair the flood damage yourself, despite all precautions you cannot be 100% sure that there are no exposed wires lying around somewhere.

When you call in a flood damage repair company, they will be accompanied by a qualified electrician who will first completely disconnect the power grid from your home to minimize the risk of electrocution. Only then will the team proceed with the water extraction and restoration.

2. The Structural Integrity of Your Home May Be Compromised

Once water gets into the home, it starts to seep into the tiniest cracks in the walls and flooring, saturating these surfaces. Drywall and wood flooring is particularly susceptible to absorbing water. As these materials get saturated with water, their structural integrity gets compromised and they may collapse at any time without any warning. You could get seriously injured if a waterlogged wall or floor collapses while you are attempting any type of DIY flood damage repair.

Professionals use high tech equipment to first test the extent of the water-logging before starting on any restoration work. This protects them as well as your property from any further destruction.

3. You Could Get Exposed to Toxic Materials

Flood waters are always contaminated. It carries a slew of germs, bacteria and other toxic materials that can cause all types of diseases. The worst part is not knowing what contaminants are present in the water – this makes it impossible to protect yourself fully. During a DIY cleanup there is a high chance that you may be exposed to some type of germ, bacteria or toxin that could result in long-term health issues. Coming in contact with some types of contaminants can even be fatal.

Professionals wear special type of protective clothing to prevent any exposure to any type of water-borne contaminants.

4. Moving Waterlogged Items Carries its Own Set of Risks

Waterlogged future and other item can weigh two or three times their original weight, making it that much more difficult to move them. If you don’t use the correct lifting techniques, it could result in severe back injury. And that’s not the only problem. Moving these heavy items across slippery, waterlogged flooring increases the risk of injury several times over. You could slip and fall injuring your back, head or limbs or the sodden item you are carrying could slip and fall on your body, resulting in cuts or even fractures.

Water extraction companies train their team in the correct techniques to use while lifting and moving heavy items. They also provide them with the appropriate protective gear such as weight belts, which provide additional support while handling heavy furniture and other heavy items.

5. You May Inadvertently Encourage Mold Growth

One of the hidden dangers of water entering your home is the potential growth of mold. Mold grows and thrives in a damp environment. The longer the moisture remains in your home, the higher the risk of mold growing and multiplying. Mold can pose a great health hazard, leading to breathing difficulties and other respiratory issues. Unfortunately, it is impossible to remove all traces of water using regular household tools. Some amount of water will inadvertently be left in the walls and flooring, which is enough to mold to thrive on.

All flood damage repair companies use high powered water extractors to extract every drop of water from the crevices, minimizing the risk of mold formation.

6. DIY Flood Damage Repair Takes Way Too Long

The amount of work that goes into repairing a flood-affected home can be daunting. Only after all the water has been extracted – which can take days – can you begin the actual repair work. There’s only so much you can do by yourself and this is not something that you can take your time on. The longer the moisture remains inside your home, the more destruction it continues to do in terms of weakening the structure and promoting the growth and spread of mold. Just dealing with basement flood damage repair can be overwhelming for anybody to handle single-handedly.

When you call an established water restoration company, they will send a well-equipped, highly-trained team who will get to work quickly and efficiently. Not only does this help to minimize the damage but it also gets your home back to a livable condition much sooner.

7. DIY Restoration Can Work Out to Be Much More Expensive

Most homeowners choose the DIY route to cut back on the overall flood damage repair cost. The fact is, it can work out to be much more expensive in the end. By taking longer to do the job, your subsequent costs of repair and restoration can be much higher. Besides, attending to this work means having to take time off from work, compounding the cost. After all that, if you don’t remove all traces of water, the mold that forms could compromise everyone’s health, resulting in expensive medical bills.

DIY flood damage repair can be time-consuming, expensive and risky and is highly inadvisable. If your home has been affected by flooding, the best way to keep your risks and losses to the minimum is by calling in a professional water extraction company.