Is your HOA board prepared to handle possible water damage from a flood post hurricane? Tampa HOA management companies and board members must do everything they can to ensure their community remains safe. The most important thing to think about before entering a home or common area is safety first and water damage mitigation. The best time to minimize water damage and the cost of repairs is within the first 48 hours following a major storm. If you haven’t already, read part one of our article to learn more tips.
Clean Properly and Wear the Right Gear
After drying your wood, carpeting, drywall, and floors, use a disinfectant to get rid of any bacteria that might have entered the home (i.e., sewers, toilets). This includes disinfecting your walls, wood, and non-upholstered furniture and whatever else flood water may have touched. Flood water can contain harmful contaminants, this is why it’s necessary to wear the proper gear when handling items in the home that have been exposed to water. Rubber gloves, a mask, boots, and old clothing should suffice.
Replace Drywall
Drywall is pretty sturdy but if a home floods, drywall doesn’t dry well. Wet walls and insulation hold water for a long time which can lead to mold clusters forming in the wall. Water damage in walls needs to be handled promptly. In many cases, drywall that gets wet needs to be cut out and replaced immediately to prevent mold.
Salvage What You Can, Discard What You Can’t
Before removing anything, disconnect the power and gas in the home to avoid danger. Take inventory of your items and determine what needs can be salvaged and what needs to be discarded or recycled. After taking the proper steps to handle water damage in homes or in the common areas of the community, it may be necessary to hire a restoration company that has the expertise to mitigate water damage in your community.
For information about Tampa HOA management, please call us at (813) 968-5665, or submit our proposal request form.