Returning to your house to find it flooded is one of the worst experiences for any homeowner. Flood damage takes a long time to correct but by acting quickly when you discover the problem you can prevent things from getting worse.
What To Do
The first thing to do is make sure your electricity and gas supplies are turned off. You can usually do this at the meter, however don't touch any electrical switches if you're standing in water as this could be dangerous. If you're in any doubt call the National Grid's emergency line on 0800 40 40 90 for electricity or 0800 111 999 for gas.
Once you've made things safe you need to call your home insurance provider. Depending on the type of policy you have they may be able to help out by putting you in touch with local tradesmen. In any event they should be able to advise on what you need to do to prevent further damage - moving items to a higher floor for example. If items have been damaged check whether they can be disposed of or whether you need to keep them for an assessor to see.
If there is still standing water in the house your first priority is to get rid of it. Contact the Environment Agency Floodline on 0345 988 1188 to find out what is happening in your area. It's pointless pumping the water out if overall flood levels are still rising. The agency should be able to tell you if there's help available with pumping. Your local fire service may be able to help here too.
Remember that flood water may contain traces of sewage so take care and wear gloves and protective clothing when carrying out your clean up.
Removing Any Outstanding Water
Once there's only a little water left you can sweep or squeeze it out or use a wet/dry vacuum cleaner to remove the last traces. It's important to remove any items like fabrics, carpets and soft furnishings that have become waterlogged. Contact your local council about disposal but, as above, check with your insurer before dumping the items.
Depending on the amount of water it's possible that wooden floors will be okay once they've thoroughly dried out. A dehumidifier can be used to help remove moisture and these are available to hire and your insurer may have arrangements with a supplier.
Plasterwork will have soaked up water and this may need to be chipped off and replaced. Partition or 'stud' walls will probably need the plasterboard skin replaced, the timber frame may be okay but any insulation is likely to have soaked up water and will need to be pulled out and replaced.
Don't be afraid to ask friends and neighbours for help. People pull together in a crisis and you'll often find that you can help each other out. If you need to rent skips, heaters or dehumidifiers for example, you may be able to share the cost.
Flood damage can take a long time to sort out completely. But by acting quickly you can minimise the impact and ensure that you return to normal as soon as possible.
Related Articles:
How To Defend Your Home From Flooding
My Home Is Flooded What Do I Do Now
Image Sources :
Image One = www.theguardian.com
Image Two = www.aaaflooddrying.com