Flood Proof Your Valuables: Tips for Avoiding Water Damage

Water damage outside of the home

Water damage is a serious threat to both your family and your home. But what about your valuables? Though it might be an emergency situation, we still believe that you can save the things you value in addition to your loved ones in the event of a flood.

With recent hurricanes and flooding, being prepared is now more important than ever. Being ready for flooding requires a thorough preparation of the interior and exterior of the home, but it also involves protecting your valuables. While it can be difficult to completely protect all of your valuables from water damage, understanding what types of containers are best, which items have priority, and how to begin planning for flooding are all important considerations for addressing risk. If you are aware that you might be experiencing flooding soon you should take the following steps.

Move Smaller Things Out of the (Literal) Splash Zone

In general, you want to store valuables in air-tight, waterproof containers and keep them above the water level during a flood. If you aren’t sure what good waterproof containers are, Boating Magazine has a good idea of your options. This means if you have a second floor or attic, your possessions need to be moved here. Don’t try to move everything, and keep in mind that some things will still likely be lost. The most important initial step is having an action plan and keeping resources at hand to quickly pack and remove valuables.

Relocate and Cover Furniture

If possible, remove furniture and relocate it to a place where it is less likely to be damaged by water. Any furniture in the basement should take priority, but relocate furniture on the main level of the home as well. Monitor the weather conditions and know when to begin relocating if the flooding is coming from the outside in. If flooding is being caused by a burst pipe, a leak, or overflow within the home, take immediate action and relocate furniture. Once this is done, you should cover the furniture in a plastic covering to help keep water out. Depending on the circumstances, this may not entirely preserve the items, but it can reduce damages.

Securely Store Documents

Irreversible damage to important documents is a serious concern during flooding. Water damage to documents can be permanent, so you should do everything possible to avoid this scenario and protect documentation at home. Waterproof safes are a good option to help protect documents from water damage as well as keep them generally secure. Business Insider offers some great advice on safes for your home. Many safes offer fire and water resistance, so consider investing in this helpful home addition to store valuables–in particular important documents.shutterstock_416084137

If you are more a fan of saving documents online, now would be the time to upload all of your existing documents and photos onto the cloud. If you aren’t sure how to do this, C Net has a great how-to that you can easily follow. By uploading your photos into the cloud you will feel safe knowing that they won’t be damaged in the event of a flood.

Seal and Store Electronics

Protecting sensitive electronic equipment from water damage is important if a flood is threatening your home. Electronics can sometimes be the most expensive things we own besides our homes.

As always, relocate any electronics from basements and disconnect them from power supplies. If a flood is likely to happen in your area soon, shut off the central power. Beyond this, place electronic equipment in resealable plastic bags, put them in airtight containers, and relocate them to secure locations far away from water. This requires a bit of pre-planning to gather enough plastic bags and secure containers of varying sizes to protect these kinds of valuables, but it is a process well worth the effort. Computers, TVs, cameras, game consoles, and any other electronic device should be sealed and stored in protective containers and relocated to a safe place. Water damage may be unavoidable, but you can lessen the damage and protect a lot of items through a little preparation.

We understand that flooding often comes quickly and without warning, which causes damage to your belongings and your home. If you are in need of home restoration from flood damage, Kelmann can help you promptly and efficiently. Please give us a call at 414-774-3799 to help you and your family get back on your feet. We can help you avoid situations like this:

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