What Kind of Content Can Be Saved After a Flood?

7/22/2021 (Permalink)

Storm damage to a home in East Brainerd, TN.

Content Cleaning After Flood Damage

There are many questions that go through your mind after a destructive flood takes hold of your East Brainerd, TN, home. However, one of the most consistent inquiries often relates to the state of your personal belongings and whether or not content cleaning can effectively save them from being removed for good. Here’s a common list of household items that often need to be removed from the home immediately, as well as others that can potentially be saved if black water hasn’t completely consumed the home.

Porous Materials

More often than not, porous materials and furnishings in your home are going to be the most affected by excess water in your living space, simply due to their absorbent nature. Belongings that are most difficult to save include the following:

• Upholstered furniture
• Carpets
• Drapes or curtains
• Saturated woodwork
• Artwork or paperwork
  
  

While there’s no definitive answer that applies to every situation, the majority of these materials can become the most densely saturated and therefore the hardest to clean and restore. However, the result depends on the extent of the water damage overall and how long it takes for you to contact professional restoration services after an event.

Nonporous Materials

Nonporous belongings, such as anything made of plastic, metal, etc., are often the best for content cleaning purposes. Such materials don’t absorb water, making them easy to simply clean off and restore in no time. Electronics or appliances can become unusable if they’re submerged for a significant amount of time, but the result depends on the severity of the water damage.

The biggest factor in determining the survival of any home furnishings is whether or not dangerous black water has come into play. This mixing of sewage and flood water can be far more difficult to clean and can lead to fewer items being salvageable, regardless of their material.

Despite what may initially seem like a lost cause, there’s always a possibility of saving your home’s belongings in East Brainerd, TN. Therefore, content cleaning should always be handled by professional restoration specialists who can do their best to save as much as possible.