Emergency Water Damage Restoration: What To Do if Disaster Strikes on Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving dinner is the cooking event we look forward to all year. A variety of traditional dishes, cookware, and recipes make the potential for grease buildup extremely high. Where family fun should be is the lingering potential for complex water damage. Whether it be leftover food falling through the kitchen sink or grease breaking down your pipes, Thanksgiving is a seasonal force against healthy plumbing systems.

After the chaos has settled and all dishes have been cleared, examine the condition of your pipes for excessive grease, cooking oil, or scraps that will not go down the drain. Potential water damage surrounding Thanksgiving does not stop here. Overusing cleaning outlets such as your dishwasher can cause a domino effect of plumbing issues that require immediate attention. Contact your local emergency water damage restoration company if your beloved Thanksgiving traditions become impacted by water damage.

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Understanding the Importance of Immediate Action

Regardless of the day, water damage requires immediate attention to be successfully remediated. Holidays are a much more polarizing time to experience water damage, as most people don’t want to attend to burst pipes or overflowing sinks. Even when inconvenient, giving immediate, intentional attention to developing water damage pays. Here are a few reasons why acting fast is essential:

Preventing Further Damage

Acting quickly after water has damaged your home on Thanksgiving will help prevent any further damage, like electrical hazards, warping, or mildew/mold. Water is unruly and will make its way in between every crack and seem, making it paramount to mitigate the damages as soon as they happen.

Ensuring Safety

From health risks to physical dangers, free-flowing contaminated water creates an unsafe environment when left unattended. Splitting wood, missing shingles, and open streams of water all create uninhabitable spaces, forcing homeowners to seek safety elsewhere. Ensure your safety by contacting a professional water damage restoration service to quickly remove in-house dangers.

Mold Prevention

Mold is the fastest-acting consequence of water damage. Other than free-flowing water, mold has the kind of impact that lingers. With a 24-48 development period, mold needs to be removed with quickness. We recommend contacting a professional service to accurately remove all spores so they can’t reproduce.

Initial Steps To Take After Water Damage

We wouldn’t ask that you conduct any restoration effort under stress, and that includes attempting to remediate a kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom holding debris. Unsafe items can be swept in by surging water, so we ask that you prioritize your safety before any remediation process. These foolproof steps will help you harness the reach of water damage effectively:

Ensuring Safety

If you’re stalled by the thought of compromising materials being present, try wearing protective gear such as gloves or goggles to guarantee minimal interaction with unsafe items. Water can carry health-concerning materials when swept in from the outside, so it helps to be aware of what could be potentially in close range.

Stop the Water Source

Make sure all suspected leaking areas are closed, powered off, and away from electrical outlets. This makes your inspection process stress-free and immediately eliminates fears surrounding safety. Check any area housing a plumbing outlet first, as they are usually the first to deteriorate. Once you’ve effectively stopped the water source from leaking, restoration can begin.

Document the Damage

For insurance purposes, it helps to document all examples of water damage. Having clear evidence of complex water damage allows your water damage restoration company to provide concrete reasons to insurance as to why you need comprehensive coverage. Don’t miss out on extra compensation because you forgot to account for small or hidden water exposures.

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Prevent Emergencies by Following These Thanksgiving Plumbing Tips

Most Thanksgiving-induced plumbing issues are caused by improper disposal of leftovers. It may seem like an easy solution to dump scraps down the drain, but in reality, these materials can cause costly damage. Grease and sauce will easily slip down through the drain, breaking down its ability to efficiently funnel food away.

To keep the holiday fun just that, prioritize these preventive measures before or during this year’s feast. They will not only keep the party in motion but will create a greater chance for your pipes to remain actively working for Thanksgivings to come.

Properly Dispose of Leftovers and Cooking Grease

Instead of heading for the nearest kitchen sink, dump your leftovers riddled with cooking grease in a trash can. It seems simple enough, but most people naturally go for the sink. Most high-volume foods made for Thanksgiving are too large for a kitchen drain. Keep this in mind during the holiday season and minimize costs by simply throwing away your leftovers in the trash.

Protect Your Pipes from the Frost

Thanksgiving for most people is accompanied by snow. White-coated holidays create an unfortunate reality for your pipes, with the water that runs through them being susceptible to freezing. Pipes expand as temperatures drop, creating emergency leaks. Protect your pipes by implementing simple prevention methods such as keeping a running tap or kicking the heat up for a bearable temperature.

Be Mindful of Dishwasher Use

Think about how you’re using your dishwasher during a busy spell like Thanksgiving. Plates are being filled at an accelerated rate, making the need for a swift washing method essential. Skip the dishwasher overload and wash dishes by hand. It may seem tedious, but it will prevent an emergency dishwasher malfunction.

Prepare Your House Before the Holidays

Inspections are an underrated preventative measure. Whether conducted professionally or at home, you can assess the current condition of your home’s pipes or drainage systems to determine what needs attention. Ahead of the upcoming holiday season, consider a professional inspection that will tell you exactly what you need to be properly protected during your feast.

Water Damage Restoration Steps

If damage to your holiday fun has gone past a burnt dish or an unwelcome guest, make sure to keep these water damage restoration steps in mind. Implementing these comprehensive steps will make sure that your family falls back into the Thanksgiving spirit seamlessly.

Remove Standing Water

When conducted professionally, the removal of standing water should be instantly effective. When you partner with a professional water removal service like us at PureDry, you gain back access to your home immediately. Make sure all openly flowing water is removed before it can be absorbed.

Dry Out the Area

Although the most effective tools are available through a professional service, you can use fans and dehumidifiers to dry impacted areas. Moisture will evaporate at the hands of a high-impact, full-cycle fan, allowing your floors, carpets, or walls to recover.

Clean and Disinfect

Apply disinfectants across all water-damaged areas, as this blocks out bacteria looking to form between fibers or on the surface. If your personal belongings have been touched by water, make sure to wash them as soon as you can. Permanent damage may be stopped if these materials are thoroughly cleaned.

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Preventing Future Water Damages

Once all water has been removed and no lingering dangers can be found, begin putting preventive measures in place. Your future self will thank you for locking in holiday fun for years to come. Follow these easy prevention techniques and celebrate with ease:

Install Water Alarms

Acting as a security system for water intrusions, water alarms measure the water presence found within your property and alert you when flooding has occurred. Knowing when water has entered your property allows a quicker response time, minimizing damages.

Upgrade Electrical Systems

Your electrical systems are usually situated next to or in combination with your plumbing or septic systems. Making sure they’re in full working order and can process a high-volume event such as Thanksgiving is the best way to prevent shortages. 

Regular Maintenance

Conduct regular maintenance on your plumbing outlets so you can rest assured that your pipes are fully functional. When the time comes for many dishes and overflowing leftovers, remain in control by having a working septic system at your disposal. 

Trust PureDry for Expert Water Damage Restoration

When water damage randomly strikes, be prepared to act fast. Having a locally operated professional water damage restoration service to call during your time of need simplifies the process. With a variety of top-rated restoration services, we’ve made a name for ourselves in the restoration world. When and if water exposure derails your Thanksgiving plans, call the professionals at PureDry for these unique offerings:

24/7 Availability

We remain in operation during all hours of the day so you can recover from water damage as soon as possible.

Professional Services

Our professional restoration technicians are certified, industry-endorsed, and ready to serve you and your family.

Areas Covered

No water exposure is too dense for us at PureDry. We lift away water from top to bottom for a fully restorative extraction.

Thorough Restoration

You can expect us to care about the details at PureDry. We’ll prevent the development of water damage later on by catching the small exposures.

 

PureDry works with the following insurance companies.

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