There is nothing worse than arriving home from a two-week holiday to discover that a burst pipe has caused extensive water damage to your property, but aside from contacting an emergency plumber to get the leak fixed, what else can you do?
Perhaps the first place to turn after you have contacted a local plumber is your home insurance provider. It is vital that you let them know as soon as possible what has happened, what you think caused it and how much the property has suffered as a result.
Your provider should then be able to give you an idea of how much cover you can receive to help finance the drainage repair, which will allow you to make an informed decision about what your next move should be.
Make sure you keep in mind that when your home has been ruined with water the full effects of this may take some time to come to light, so your next port of call should be an expert who knows what they are looking at.
Your emergency plumber will have been able to stop any more liquid from leaking into your home and they should have a good idea of what caused it.
If the problem began with a leaking pipe from a bathroom fixture, or a central heating pipe that has burst, such a professional is the best person to pin-point exactly what has gone wrong and how to rectify it.
When you walk through the front door to be greeted with a soaking wet sofa and a carpet covered in two inches of water, it is not likely you will be thinking clearly enough to investigate the cause yourself.
You certainly should not attempt to fix it either, as you may cause more damage that is more expensive to put right.
This is why you should rely on your plumber for assistance. With a burst pipe alone there can be several different causes, from a build-up of wear and tear to water inside them freezing, expanding and causing the structure to rupture.
If you are concerned about the cost of repairing it all, remember once the leak has been stopped you can book the plumber to come back and carry out the work at a later date, meaning you will not have to pay an emergency rate.
In addition, you could take a few hours to shop around and find the professional who offers the most competitive quote.
However, water damage is not always caused by a problematic pipe. Indeed, the harm may have been done by the elements.
If there has been a particularly heavy rain storm and your roof is not in the best state to begin with, what was a slight drip could lead to an extensive breakage where water pours into the floors below.
As well as fixing the damage, you will also want to be certain that this does not happen again, in which case you may have to get in touch with some builders.
They will be able to assess where the leak is coming from, the extent of the problem and the condition of the rest of the roof.
After this examination, your builder will be able to tell you what needs to be done to repair it and how much this will cost – but remember you can always shop around for a quote. You may also need to hire tilers if the damage is so great that you require new tiles to be fitted.
However, there are occasions when water damage builds up slowly and it can be hard to work out what is causing it.
Many properties – particularly older ones – suffer from damp. You can recognise this from mould spores appearing on your walls or furniture, condensation on the inside of windows and areas where the walls look a touch darker.
It is important to get this sorted as soon as possible as it can lead to extensive mould, which not only puts your home at risk but also your health.
You can hire expert damp and timber contractors to come and carry out an assessment of your entire home and provide you with a plan of action.
It may be that you simply need a new chemical damp proofing course put in, which could be covered if you have a guarantee for the last time you had this done. However, your home might have areas that need re-plastering.
While this can be expensive, it is unlikely to need doing again for some time, while the bare areas of wall you are left with could inspire you to carry out a little home decorating.
So, however bad the water damage in your property, don’t delay and get it sorted.
