Advice on Water Damage and Flooded House

Flooding can ruin the interior of a house in a very short time, but unfortunately there is no easy or fast way to repair the damage.

It can take many months to dry out the house, especially in the winter. If your home is flooded, each vertical inch of the brickwork of your house walls affected by the flood will take about a month to dry out.

Make sure the electricity supply to your house is turned off, as well as the gas supply.

The weight and force of the water entering your house can produce significant structural damage so inspect walls carefully and look at the roof of your house to check for any indications of damage.

The floodwater entering your house is often contaminated by raw sewage and toxic chemicals so you should wear rubber gloves and a facemask to reduce the risk to your health.

Opening the doors and windows of your house will help the drying out process. If it's possible and safe to do so, you can run your central heating on a low temperature setting, around 20-23 degrees Celsius.

Take photos and notes of all damage to your house and do not dispose of water damaged furniture as it may be needed by your insurance company as proof of claim.

When removing soil and debris that the flood water has piled up against the walls of your house, make sure to remove the weight evenly from both sides to prevent possible damage to the house walls.

If you are pumping water out from inside your house, wait until the flood waters outside recede to a level lower than the inside level. This will reduce the risk of damage to your house walls.

This article is only intended as a basic general summary and you should always seek professional advice where necessary.

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