Home Emergencies Everyone Should Know How to Handle
At Tailored by Woodhill, we are excited to help people build their dream homes and enjoy living in them. We want to help you be set up for success by discussing a few common home related emergencies along with what you need to know to handle them.
Flooded Basements
All the items on this list are likely to fill you with dread and anxiety. They are time sensitive issues that require immediate attention and the first item on our list is a flooded basement. Before you head into your basement to take stock of the damage, make sure to dawn the proper PPE; gloves, rubber boots, ect. Once you have located the source of the leak and cut off the water supply to that area, start removing as much standing water as you can with a wet/dry vac. Then to make sure that the space dries out properly, ventilation is key. A couple of industrial fans placed in the space are ideal. You can even leave a door open for extra air flow if that is an option.
Non-Working Toilet
We are all grateful for modern plumbing, but nothing is worse (or scarier) than a toilet that is not flushing. As soon as you realize you have a toilet that is not flushing or that is flooding, your first action should be to turn off the water line to the tank. Then you can try to troubleshoot the issue without being rushed. The bowl may just need to be unclogged, or the problem could be that the chain/handle is disconnected. After you have resolved the issue, don’t forget to turn the water line back on.
Carbon Monoxide Leak
Something you should inspect regularly are your carbon monoxide detectors. Checking them quarterly to ensure that the batteries and functions are in working condition is a good practice. But what should you do if your carbon monoxide detectors actually sound? The first thing you want to do is remove your family from the premises. Once you are all away from danger, call your gas company. They will investigate the source of the leak so that it can be managed.
Realistically, you cannot prepare for every emergency. Some things are simply unexpected. But these are a few of the most common emergencies that homeowners face. Knowing what to do when faced with these situations will save you time when you need to spring into action.