Mud floods can happen anywhere a regular flood can, but they’re much more devastating. We’re going to cover how to get things cleaned up in the aftermath.
Remove the Bulk
First, remove the bulk of any mud, water, and debris.
You won’t be able to get everything right away, and that’s okay. Focus on clearing enough to form walkways that let you move around the house.
Use protective gear to keep the mud off of you. We’re not dealing with regular mud, this mud has most likely mixed with all sorts of dangerous things after being pulled from areas of the ground that don’t usually go anywhere.
Relocate Contents
Take out your belongings that can be salvaged and clean them very, very thoroughly. You’ll need to store them in a pod or offsite while you finish everything else.
Don’t hesitate to get rid of things instead of cleaning them. The things you own will be extremely dirty after being in a house flooding with mud.
Remove More Bulk
Remove the rest of the bulk mud and water once all of the contents are out of the house.
This can be more of a rough cleanup because you may need to make a bit of a mess next.
Determine Damage
In any kind of flood, you’ll almost always have to remove insulation, MDF, fiberboard, carpet pad, vinyl, and laminate.
There’s a good chance you’ll need to remove some drywall too.
Use a non-penetrating moisture meter to check the moisture levels of the materials in your house.
If you have any questions, most restoration companies are happy to answer specific questions over the phone.
Tear out Damaged Materials
Take out anything that was determined unsalvageable by the previous step.
Make sure to use the right equipment for any demolition you do. Removing something the wrong way can make the rebuild process much more difficult.
Clean, Clean, Clean
Now it’s time for the most time-consuming part: cleaning.
Everything should be cleaned as if the mud everywhere was poop. And yes, that means you’ll be better off throwing a lot of things away.
Remember to think about the places the mud water has traveled to that aren’t easily accessible. Behind baseboards, under flooring, and inside walls are a few common ones.
Get Everything Dry
To get everything dry, you’ll need to know everything that’s wet.
Re-check all of the areas that were previously wet and behind any areas where materials were removed.
Set up industrial fans and dehumidifiers to get the job done in 3 to 5 days. (No, household fans and dehumidifiers will not work.)
Rebuild
Your house will need to be put back together, of course.
Most homeowners contact rebuild contractors to get things back in shape.
You can call a few restoration companies for quality recommendations since they work with so many and rarely get kickbacks.
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