Coming downstairs one morning and finding your living room becomes a swimming pool is a disturbing sight. The first thing you should do if water is dripping from your ceiling is to remain calm. While it may be very tempting to worry, the water may still be seeping through your ceiling and causing further damage. In just a few easy steps, we'll walk you through what to do if water is dripping from your ceiling.
The following are some of the best actions to take when it begins to rain inside your home:
1. Start by doing everything you can to stop the leak of water. Find a container to catch the water in if it is still flowing through to prevent it from causing more harm than it already has.
2. After that, locate the mains water service valve and close it. It will be located downstairs, usually in the kitchen, though occasionally it might be next to a downstairs restroom or even under the stairs. Turning the valve, which resembles a small tap, in the other direction will stop all water flow into the house.
3. Do your best to secure the goods underneath the water leak. Tarpaulin, shower curtains, even umbrellas, or any other form of plastic sheeting, will be useful for covering furniture. Be extremely cautious while using electrical equipment if the ceiling water leak is even remotely close by since water may have seeped inside or, worse still, into the plug sockets.
4. It's probably best to switch off the mains electricity to those electrical sockets, even if you're unsure whether any of them have been impacted. Before unplugging or moving any appliances, identify the circuit that is delivering the electricity to the affected rooms and turn it off.
5. Track down the offender. You'll be in a much betterposition to remedy the leak if you can identify which system is to blame (orcalling someone in).
6. Make a decision on your insurance claim. Call your insurance provider right away if you wish to file a claim to remedy the leak and pay for the damage it has caused.
They could advise you to wait to take any further action in relation to your water leak until they have evaluated the claim. If you can, take lots of photos and videos and then adhere to the instructions provided by the insurance provider.
If you prefer not to contact your insurance provider...
7. If you can locate the leak in a specific pipe, you might be able to fix it yourself; for advice, see our short guide to major water leakage & repairs. Otherwise….
8. Request aid! Even though the water leak seems to be fairly modest, there could still be hidden damage. Calling a professional is usually still a good option if the leak is large so they can evaluate the larger damage.
9. If at all possible, call the proper person. There is a significant chance that the boiler is to blame for the leak if water is dripping from below it directly. Or, if it rains inside and outside at the same time, you might have a roofing problem. If you know what's causing the leak, you can find the correct tradesperson to help you, but if it's not so obvious, a plumber is frequently a great option!
when the leak has been fixed…
10. Start sweeping. While the problem is being fixed, you can begin the clean-up process if you aren't filing an insurance claim. Squeegee mops are useful for soaking up surface water in any case, and a wet/dry vacuum can be extremely helpful. It is occasionally impossible to rescue carpets and other furniture due to water damage. In order for the afflicted items to start drying out fast, it is a good idea to remove them all from your home if this occurs to you.
11. Your home will dry inside more quickly the more air you can circulate. Open as many windows and doors as you can, and if it's safe, turn on fans as well. Naturally, this won't be as simple if it's pouring rain or really cold outside, but it's still crucial to ventilate the affected rooms as much as you can. Without windows open, you might notice the beginnings of dampness if it's cold outside and the heater is on.
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