Water leaking into your home through a roof, basement foundation, leaky pipe, or an outside water source can cause serious damage to your home in different levels. In addition to the potential for mold growth, floodwaters can contain raw sewage and bacteria, chemicals, and harmful substances you don't want saturating your home interior. However, if this type of damage does occur to your home, here are some recommendations to help you get through a water disaster in your home.

Check Electrical Appliances and HVAC 

One of the first concerns you should check into is any electrical components within your home that may be in contact with water or flooding. Electricity travels through water, and if you are exposed to it, you will end up getting shocked and possibly killed. Before you enter your home and any floodwaters, be sure you switch the electrical to your home by turning the breaker off to your home's main panel. If the water is just in one area, unplug appliances that are exposed to leaking water.

Also look at your home's HVAC system to find out the extent of any water damage. It is a good idea to contact an HVAC professional to check your system and make sure it does not contain water damage and to clean out its interior of mold growth so you don't pump this through the air in your home when you switch it on. You can also have a restoration company help you with cleaning your ventilation ducts and other flood water-damaged areas.

Follow Disposal Clean-Up

As you go through your home and the water-damaged areas, you can determine what items are salvageable and those that are not. Items that are not porous, such as dishes, metal furniture, and hard flooring are the types of materials you can clean off to remove mold and any other contaminants from the water and restore them. However, some items that are porous may not be salvageable and should be immediately discarded to prevent mold growth in your home. 

Porous items include drywall, insulation, mattresses, carpeting and underlying padding, and some wood surfaces. Be sure to arrange for a water damage restoration service to help you in this process as they can clean out some furnishings, wood furniture, and other water-saturated items that can be restored. And items such as books and important papers are worth the effort to salvage and restore.