Close your eyes and conjure up the smell of the air after a rainstorm. Picture the beautiful rainbow. The world feels brand new. Until that is, you discover the flood in your basement. After the initial panic and rush to save whatever you can, you must act quickly to restore your damaged area back to the condition you remember and liked.

1) Protect yourself from any electrical hazards, by turning off the supply of electricity and unplugging appliances. Failure to do this can be hazardous to your health for any additional steps.

2) Immediate steps need to be taken to move objects away from the water to prevent staining and moisture absorption. This is accomplished by relocating them to another room or by placing plastic or possibly small blocks of wood underneath them.

3) Minimize the water damage as reasonably as you can by getting rid of as much of the standing water as possible. Think towels, think wet/dry vacuum, think fans, just think DRY. A common mistake to avoid however is raising the heat in your home in the thinking that the drying process can benefit from it. The process of applying high heat to rapid drying can lead to cracking. Especially vulnerable items to this are artwork, antiques and musical instruments. Although heat dries things, the application of that heat in a certain manner is the overall key to success.

4) The above-mentioned drying tactics may seem simple but it is important to remember that water not caught can penetrate the structural components of your home, leaving saturated areas behind for other issues to occur. It is hard to think of ductwork, insulation and crawl spaces when you are trying to evacuate the water and dry, sentimental photo albums, and other family heirlooms. Trapped pockets of water will promote mold growth along with producing the telltale musty smell of water damage so be on the lookout for them or their smell.

5) In any cleanup situation, it is vital to obtain the help of a professional restoration contactor. Trained water remediation experts and their equipment make a huge difference in your flood cleanup efforts. They use a combination of dehumidification and air movement to safely dry your possessions and your structure.

Be rest assured that natural disasters in Orlando are not an everyday occurrence and there is a good chance that you will not likely incur major water damage all the time. Nevertheless, it is good to be armed with the information necessary to begin water damage remediation swiftly and intelligently.