There are certain parts of our homes that we do not really notice right away. Like our ceilings for instance. We never pay them any attention unless there is water plopping down on us while we watch television. And then one day, we are sick in bed or lying on our couch and we look up and horror of horrors! Spots! Water damage can be something as simple as a few discolored spots on the ceiling, or they can be even more involved, but they must be dealt with, including the cause of them.
If what you have spotted first are the brownish, discolored spots on your ceiling, your roof is more than likely the culprit. Removing a section of the ceiling tile may reveal more extensive water damage, or in some cases it may not. If you are lucky, then replace the tile or repaint the ceiling- but have the roof checked and repaired as soon as possible. Be prepared for the worst when you remove the tile- you never know exactly what you will find under it. If the water damage is concentrated in the corners or along the edges of the ceiling, it may not be the actual roof, it may be the house's eaves allowing water to seep under the siding and into the home. Simply repainting or replacing ceiling tiles without finding and repairing the cause of your water damage is fool hardy at best.
After you notice damages to the ceiling, check the walls and floor in the area as well. With a bright light, check for brownish dripped areas on the wall, or a damp, moldy or musty appearing/smelling carpet. Hardwood floorings may take on a grayish appearance when exposed to water damage, so monitor them as well, even if you never feel any water. Again, make sure that you do not just do the cosmetic repairs without finding the cause of the water damage.
Once the cause of the water damage has been found, and repaired, assess the area to see if it is simply cosmetic damage or if there is a structural issue to be cared for as well. Ceiling tiles that are molded or weakened must be removed and replaced, otherwise you can repaint to cover the darkened spot. (If you have the time, the energy and the budget, you might consider using this as an excuse to repaint the entire room.)
Once the ceiling has been repaired, you can then focus on the wall and floors. Again, if there are no structural damages to contend with, you can focus on making things pretty once again. Repainting or repapering may be all that is necessary, but you must understand that wood paneling may be more involved to repair. If this is beyond your scope of expertise, then consult a handyman or contractor, otherwise, sand and refinish the wall. (Do this carefully or you will end up having to do the entire room.
People do not usually ever anticipate their home being flooded, especially by Mother Nature, at least people who do not live in areas that are prone to flooding. If your home has ever been flooded once, that is likely all it will take to make sure that certain things in your home are protected in case it ever happens again. Hind sight is usually 20/20, but in a flooded home, foresight is what is most beneficial.
Just about any home will have certain things that the residents consider valuable or irreplaceable. Important documents, family heirlooms and photographs are normally at the top of the list. A simple way to protect these things can be to make sure they are store up high in plastic bags and water tight containers that will not leak. Unless your home is flooded to the rafters, they should be safe.
If a home is located in a place where it could be possible for the home to be flooded drastically or completely submerged, you might want to take even more precautions than these. Using your home computer to scan and then download family photographs onto a disk is a smart thing to do. You can scan and make copies of important documents and keep the copies on hand at home. Put the originals documents along with your family photograph disk in a safety deposit box at your bank or other safe place. Make sure that any valuable heirlooms or keep sakes are insured on your flood damage insurance policy.
Flood damage insurance is the most important precaution anyone can take when there is even the slightest risk that your home could be flooded because of a natural disaster. Thousands of people have been caught without any coverage during recent years because of flooding due to hurricanes and flooding from rivers in low lying areas. The Mid West states have most recently fallen victim to the mighty Mississippi river and others water soueces due to all the torrential rainfall this spring and early summer.
Another way to take precautions when you live in a flood prone area is to always take the news broadcast seriously, even if it does not happen, you can move many valuables up to your attic where they might be safe. This might seem like a drastic measure to take, but it is one that probably a lot of people wish they had taken when they were first warned that a flood was possible.
Both Wendi Watson & Rachel Yoshida are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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