What To Do If You Have Water Damage To Your Apartment

8/27/2019 (Permalink)

Pipe bursts and washing machine mishaps can happen. Stay on top of the situation by following these tips from SERVPRO.

When a pipe bursts or your washing machine breaks, damage from all that water can be difficult to handle. Dealing with water damage is time-consuming, expensive, and isn’t always covered by renter’s insurance; depending on the size of the event, restoration can cost between $1000 to $10,000. 

When facing these kinds of potential costs, a renter may want to consider handling some of the repairs themselves to cut down on out-of-pocket costs, but this may not be the wisest thing to do if they are not handy. Today, we’ll share some tips to help you decide if you need the assistance of a professional or if you can do it yourself. 

Evaluation. This step is the most important since it determines all your actions going forward. Some important factors are going to be:

• The amount of damage. A moderate amount of water in your apartment should be manageable, as long as you have the tools you need. Significant flooding or continually rising waters will be a different story, though, and you should call for help immediately in these instances. If your area has been affected by a natural disaster, that is not going to be the right time to take on a DIY project, either. Use the skills of professionals here and be sure to follow all instructions from your local disaster relief organizations. 
• Consider the source. Figuring out where the water is coming from will be an important next step because it will help you to know what type of water you may be dealing with. Safety is always a concern when it comes to handling water that may be contaminated in some way, and in these cases, calling the professionals will be the right choice. 
• Clean water is not a problem. It may come from rain or leaky pipes with no bacteria growing in it. This kind of water can be cleaned up with little to no professional help, depending on the amount. 
• Gray water comes from your dishwasher or washing machine and can be slightly contaminated. It can also be safe to clean this type of water up by yourself, but be sure to use proper safety precautions, such as wearing gloves and other safety gear. 
• The last kind of water is black water. It can come from sewers or through flooding from a body of water nearby. Never try to clean up this type of water on your own, as it can contain many kinds of highly infectious organisms and other potential health hazards. 

If you aren’t sure what kind of water you are facing, call in the professionals for help. 

The level of damage your apartment has experienced is also something to consider. Light damage can be handled by the resident, but significant damage can make your residence unsafe. In the case of safety, it’s always best to call in a water damage specialist.  

The team here at SERVPRO of Belle Meade/West Nashville is ready to help you with all of your water damage issues, as well as damage from fire. We are mold remediation specialists, too!