How To Handle A Burst Pipe
Water damage is incredibly expensive to put right, and it can cause huge problems, from damaging your belongings to needing a new roof. If a pipe bursts, you need to respond straight away and do what you can to minimize the damage. Here’s what you need to do.
Shut off the water
If you have a burst pipe, you should immediately shut off the water at the mains by turning off the main stopcock. This stops more water from coming into the pipe and pouring out into the house. If water keeps coming through the pipes, drain the cold water by flushing the toilet a few times and running all the cold taps in the house until the water stops. If the electrics have been affected, turn off the electricity at the mains immediately to make the house safe.
Contact your insurer
Contact your insurer straight away. They might be able to help you find an authorized tradesperson to help you deal with the damage, as well as paying for any repairs, parts, and labor that you need. Check your insurance policy to see what damage is covered.
Contact a plumber
Once the water has stopped running, call a professional plumbing company to look at the damage and start making repairs. Serious repairs like this should not be a DIY job.
If water has got into your power sockets, you must call an electrician too. Don’t use any appliances that have got wet.
If you’re going to claim on your home insurance, make sure you call them before you call a plumber or an electrician. Many insurers will offer a home emergency service, so will call the plumber for you.
Document the damage
Check exactly what you need to do to make an insurance claim. Some insurers will require you to send pictures of any damage and keep receipts for any costs. Your insurer will tell you to go ahead with repairs, which you should also keep receipts for, or will arrange for a loss adjuster to come and look at the damage that has been done. The loss adjuster will then tell your insurer how much damage has been done so they can pay out the right amount.
Putting things right
Getting your home back to normal after severe water damage can take a long time.
A lot of cleaning will be needed. It can take four to eight weeks for the flooded rooms to dry out completely and could take even more time in more extreme floods. You can help the house dry out faster by giving your walls, floors, and furniture enough space for air to properly circulate.
Any furniture or fittings that have been damaged will need to be taken out, and any damaged plaster will need to be removed.
You might have to wait a while before your house has dried out enough to allow you to start making cosmetic repairs. The walls need to be fully dry before you can replaster and redecorate.
