It happens all of the time. You come home from work to find water running out of your garage or front door. You rush inside to find that your water heater tank has sprung a leak and your entire house is now flooded. As your couch floats by you begin to wonder what to do. This article will give you some information that you need to know if the unthinkable happens to you.

Water heaters are just one source of flooded home. Other sources include broken pipes, broken ice maker lines, and clogged air conditioner drains to name a few. No matter what the source of the leak, there are steps that you need to take immediately to rectify the situation.

The longer your belongings stay wet, the worse the damage will be so the first thing you should do is call a flood specialist. A water damage restoration company will have the equipment necessary to extract the water from your home and dry it quickly. Do not even think of tackling this problem yourself. A shop vac and some floor fans will just not get the job done. Professional flood restoration services will bring thousands of dollars worth of specialty equipment into your home to take care of the damage.

Now that you have a water restoration company on the way, contact your insurance company. The quicker you let them know about the problem, the quicker you will get your claim settled and your life back in order. Many companies will immediately send an adjuster to the scene and others may choose to just contact you the next day. Once you get an adjuster, they may tell you that you need to use their restoration company but remember that they can not insist on it. They can only recommend a company. You have the right to use any company that you choose.

After your restoration company has extracted the water from your carpets and floors, they will set up powerful fans and dehumidification equipment. This equipment will completely dry your home over the next few days. After your carpet is dry, your adjuster will decide what is salvageable and what needs to be replaced.

This is of course an over simplification of the process involved but it gives you an idea of what you need to do. Contact a restoration service, contact your insurance and then hope for the best. Flood damage is never easy to clean up but remember that you will eventually get through it.