Clean Your Property and Contents After a Flood

4/3/2020 (Permalink)

Storm damage in Oklahoma City, OK

Cleaning up after a flood in your Oklahoma City, OK, business can seem overwhelming, but with preparation and planning, you can steadily deal with the damage. Reach out to available resources and take the following content cleaning steps to get your business back on track.

Focus on Safety First

There are several significant risks when dealing with water in the workplace. Before you start any cleanup effort, protect yourself and those around you from potential hazards.

• Turn off the gas and electricity.
  
• Use appropriate protective gear, such as gloves, boots, and masks.
  
• Contact flood cleanup professionals immediately if you suspect black water.
  
• Remove water as quickly as possible.
  
  

Whether water trickled into your building or rushed in quickly, there's a potential for damage to the foundation, walls, floors, windows, and other structural components. Before stepping onto a weakened floor, make sure there aren't dangerous structural damages.

Document Water Damage for Your Insurance

After taking care of your first priorities, it's important to document damages for your insurance company. Take photographs or video of the damages to your building. These should be taken before you start to clean up any of the flood damage.

Identify DIY Work and Professional Work

You can take care of a lot of cleaning and damage, but some of the work should be completed by professionals. For example, soggy books and papers, damaged artwork, and furnishings may require the specialized care that professionals provide. Your insurance company may prefer that you turn all of the cleanup over to these technicians. Professional-strength cleaners and disinfectants remove layers of dirt and slow or prevent the growth of diseases from black water contamination.
There are many surfaces and materials in your building that require specialized content cleaning efforts. Protect your property from lasting damages, such as mold growth and structural damages, by taking prompt action, working with your insurance company, and determining which tasks to turn over to professionals.