Is it safe to stay in my Charlton home after water damage?

6/9/2020 (Permalink)

Stormy and Blaze loading up the van, getting ready for a great days work!

No matter what caused the water damage, one thing we're sure crosses your mind is "is it safe to live in my home?" The answer to this question depends on the status of your home during and after the water damage, along with a few other things. Before this question can be answered, there are a couple others that need to be answered first!

Water 

What was the source of the water? If it was from a sink or water heater, it is indeed safe to stay in your home. If it was from a sewage backup or water from a storm or flood, it is not safe for you to stay in the home. Water from sewage backups and storms is contaminated and could cause illness, and it just doesn't smell good! 

Affected areas 

What rooms or areas of the home that were affected can also determine if it's safe for you to stay in your home. You can live and work around water damage (and restoration of) in your garage. laundry room, basement and spare rooms, but if your kitchen, bathroom or other primary rooms in the home were damaged, this can make or break if you can stay in the home or have to find a temporary solution until the restoration process is complete. 

Most standard home insurance policies include additional living expenses (ALE) coverage. This will come in handy in a situation such as water damage, and you can't stay in your home while restoration and repairs are being done. For more information about ALE coverage, click here. 

Restoration process

This part might be subjective for you. If you have no problem living and working around water damage restoration techs and their equipment, then you can probably stay in your home (yay!!) unless determined otherwise. 

As soon as you see the signs of water damage, you should contact your home insurance provider. They will send someone out to assess the damage. Be sure to take your own photographs and document anything and everything for your own reference!!

If your Charlton, MA home has suffered from water damage, give us a call at (508) 234-3399, we're here to help! No matter how big or small the job, we can handle it all!