There are a lot of things that we expect when December comes: Christmas, colder days, and of course, the approaching new year. However, there are also things that come with the closing months of the year that we’ve come to expect but not accept.

And one of which is heavy rains. And when the heavy rains come, expect to see more flooding, especially if you live in a low-lying area or near rivers or lakes.

Floods are never a pretty sight, as they can quickly submerge a house into several feet of murky water. By having your living room underwater is just the least of the problems a flood can bring; dirty water from floods carries disease-causing bacteria and other pathogens which can endanger the health of your family. That is why whenever your house gets flooded, it is extremely necessary that you have your house cleaned up and repaired as soon as possible.

Cleaning and repairing a house after a flood is never an easy task, but it is an important procedure nonetheless and must be undertaken once the floodwaters subside. But before doing so, certain precautions must be made. First, make sure that the electricity is turned off to prevent electric shock.

You must also check the water heaters and other gas-burning appliances for gas leaks. In addition, wearing rubber gloves, goggles, boots and other protective gear is a must before flood cleanup and repair.

Although wearing them may make you look funny, but these protective equipment prevents you from direct contact with disease-carrying flood residue and stagnant water inside waterlogged household items.

And if you’re deciding to file for claims from your insurance company, having a camera ready to document the extent of damage while doing flood damage repair in your house will make your application much easier.

Once you’ve done all the necessary preparations, you can now start cleaning up. One of the first things you must do is open all the doors and windows to facilitate drying. Having water inside the house even for a few hours can result in extensive damage, so getting the water to evaporate quickly is important.

You should also remove all wet materials from the house to dry outside or thrown away and wash all surfaces of the structure with bleach or similar disinfectant to prevent the spread the molds and mildew.

You should also remove the carpet and its padding throughout the house, as they contain harmful bacteria and will slow down the drying process. And because of the humidity of the flood, the ceiling must also be checked for swelling. Swollen and damaged ceiling boards must be re-nailed, refinished or replaced if necessary.

It usually takes 1 to 6 weeks for a flooded home to dry out completely, depending on duration of the flood water inside the house and the amount of ventilation provided. However, it is always advisable that you should not install new materials until all of the surfaces in your house have dried out completely.