Dealing with a Burst Pipe in Your Cape Cod Home

2/8/2021 (Permalink)

One of the most stressful and common home disasters to strike during winter are frozen pipe burst. Every second a pipe is burst, the damage done to your home and belongings grows exponentially. We here at SERVPRO of Mid-Outer Cape Cod have discussed frozen pipe prevention on our blog before, but what about after a pipe has burst? Before you or someone you know panics, only to make this kind of situation worse, follow these three universal steps for aiding in the mitigation of this kind of disaster.

1. Shut off the source of the water: It’s essential for all homeowners to know where their house’s main water valve is located. Knowing the location of all water valves not only prepares the homeowner for dealing with a burst pipe, but other water related disasters as well. For those living in apartments or other rented properties, be sure to contact your landlord immediately in order to shut off all appropriate valves. If the affected rooms have power outlets and electric appliances, cut off all power to the room to prevent the risk of electric shock.
2. Make sure insurance covers your disaster: Take notes and inventory of where the water damage is, what it’s damaged and where it came from. Prepared with this information, call your homeowner’s insurance agent to see if the damage is covered and who they recommend calling to professionally mitigate the disaster. At SERVPRO of Mid-Outer Cape Cod, we’re on alert 24/7 to mitigate water damage related disasters and will work with your insurance company to make dealing with the situation as easy as possible.
3. Safely attempt to mitigate some of the water before help arrives: Use towels, wet/dry vacuums, buckets and mops to mitigate the water. Do NOT use a normal household vacuum to suck up water as it will destroy the appliance and put the user at high risk of electric shock. Also, if floors and carpets get dry to the touch, a professional mitigation company or repairman will still need to be called. Water leaks into drywall, floor padding, subfloor and many other areas only professionals can properly dry and repair.

A burst pipe can be an expensive and time-consuming fiasco. By following these 3 steps and calling SERVPRO of Mid-Outer Cape Cod when disaster strikes, you can save time, money and the stress of further water damage. Call us any time at 508-778-7378 for 24/7 emergency restoration services. At SERVPRO, we’ll make it "Like it never even happened."