Experiencing property damage is stressful, but knowing exactly what to do in the immediate aftermath makes all of the difference. The first few steps in the days immediately following the discovery of an issue on your property can change the recovery process and the results. Knowing how to act in the days immediately following property damage saves you thousands and helps speed up the recovery process.
Mitigate Further Damage Where You Are Able
The first step to take is to mitigate any further damage that can occur to your property. Whether that’s stopping water, fire damage, or another issue, always use caution as you work to stop any issues. If water is the cause, locate the source (such as a burst pipe) and stop the water from flowing. If you cannot get to the source, turn off the main line for the property. This is usually located near the water meter. The local shutoff valve is typically located directly near the source in question (such as in a bathroom near the sink).
If this is an issue with fire damage or water that made its way into the property due to an external source, try to mitigate any additional water damage or close up any fire source that you can still reach. If it’s mostly water, this may mean placing buckets to catch water. It may also mean using towels to stop water from hitting any possessions or electronics first.
If this type of damage is relating to electrical issues, gas issues, or other dangerous properties, make sure to keep your safety at the forefront. If you’re unsure if it’s safe to enter the property again, always avoid entering it and wait for a professional. No property is worth your life.
Document Damage in Detail
One of the most important actions you can take to make your insurance process easier and make your claim faster is to document in detail every piece of damage that your insurance company will need to cover. Take photos and videos of all damage from different angles. Ensure that you have both wide shots that show a lot of context, but also extreme close-ups that show damage in detail.
Make sure to capture any evidence of damage, timestamped (as timestamped images usually work best) and are taken with your phone (to ensure this feature gets used). If you think you’ll need a specific amount of documentation, take double the amount of photos that you think you’ll actually need.
Documenting damage isn’t just about visual aids, but also ensure that you type up documentation regarding when the event happened, when you found it, what actions you took immediately following your discovery, and any additional important notes. This will ensure the insurance adjuster assesses the damage ASAP.
Protect and Remove Your Contents (As Needed)
After documenting the damage, remove any contents that are at risk for further damage. In most cases, this involves ensuring that your important possessions that are vulnerable and easily damaged are removed first. This often includes electronics, important documents, photographs, things that cannot be replicated but are of sentimental value. Even if you cannot immediately remove water-damaged furniture, ensure that you at least place them on blocks (to avoid them sitting in water if this is an issue) or avoiding further damage in its vicinity.
This may also be when you want to contact remediation cleaning services that have industrial-strength equipment to clean up any damage quickly. These professionals will assess visible damage as well as hidden damage, and will ensure that everything is cleaned up (as opposed to a typical cleaner who often can’t assess what they need to clean). Water travels through materials, so ensuring that they’ve left no hint of excess water behind is vital.
In this same step, if there are items that cannot be easily removed from the area, ensure they are covered with plastic sheeting or tarps for protection.
Contact Your Insurance Company Immediately
Another vital task that needs to be completed as quickly as possible is contacting your insurance company. A best practice is to contact your insurance company even while you are still assessing the damage yourself, and this should be done within 24-48 hours of noticing the damage. Many insurance policies state that they need to be made aware of a claim as soon as possible. If you wait too long, it could make things more difficult down the line. This also helps expedite the processing of your claim quickly.
When you call the insurance provider, they will assign an adjuster to your claim. The adjuster assesses the damage done to your property and also explains any additional steps that may need to be followed (even if they differ sometimes between companies).
While contacting your insurance company, ensure that you have all documentation handy. You’ll want to have photos of the damage accessible or additional information regarding policies. When contacting your insurance company, they will let you know how to proceed with reporting and further information.
Start Ventilation and Air Circulation
Another simple but helpful step is immediately beginning ventilation and air circulation in your property. This helps prevent secondary damage from occurring due to a water issue.
Open all windows and doors (if the weather permits) and place fans all over the space. The more air circulation there is, the better chance you have of avoiding additional moisture damage in your space.
Use box fans if you have them; just get air circulating as soon as possible. A best practice is doing so for at least 72 hours after a flood or other moisture exposure situation.
Do not seal up the affected spaces without first consulting with a restoration company because restoration experts will provide moisture meters in these cases.
Understand Your Timeline
The timeline after property damage varies significantly depending on a multitude of factors, from activity on your property to who can assist you. The initial reaction period only takes a handful of hours in 24 hour period (or slightly longer), but this will determine the entire processing phase during other phases of recovery.
The property that receives attention within a timely manner will recover much quicker than properties that sit for days after initial damage. It’s also worth mentioning that timelines also vary, whether someone is able to come in a day versus a week later.
Once the restoration teams arrive on site, they have a systematic process that they need to follow after arrival to assess your needs (in terms of additional equipment and services) in assessing your moisture levels and providing any removal of excess water to assist with cleaning efforts. This also will go through drying times before restoration efforts re-begin, but overall, it’s just a systematic approach where you’re already prepared due to completing this introduction sequence before their arrival.
Recovery & Restoration
No one wants to see any damage on their property. However damaging it might be to discover it, learning how to respond immediately transforms a crisis into a situation that can be completed with ordering and steps manages to expedite the experience.
Combining this effort with contacting the cleaning professionals will ensure your best possible result after post-damage efforts (as needed will also improve properties through other needs added within the restoration for their cleaning).
DISCLOSURE – This is a collaborative post.
