You turned on the faucet or activated the dishwasher, and now there’s a flood soaking your kitchen floor. Don’t panic because your homeowner’s insurance might cover the recovery costs. Take a deep breath and learn how to correctly respond to a household emergency. Specific steps will lead you to a gorgeous kitchen afterward.

Fix the Damage Source First

No recovery efforts can occur if the damage source is still operating. Shut off your water, and call a plumber. Leaking pipes must be repaired so that further moisture doesn’t saturate the kitchen. If the kitchen still has some water on the floor, try to drain it out. The repairs can be quickly reached and fixed with easy access to the pipes. Most plumbers will work with you to create an affordable fix during an emergency situation.

Hire a Remediation Team

Plumbers will fix your pipes, but the surrounding damage isn’t part of their service. Hire a fire damage restoration Houston TX team to clean up the water and fix the damage. These professionals typically evaluate and repair any damage to the space. Spraying mold cleaner and other chemicals on the cabinets and floors might be an option too. After a remediation job, you should have your kitchen practically back to normal.

Try Your DIY Skills Now

If you want to stretch your personal or insurance funds even farther, work on the kitchen as a DIY project at this point. The remediation company should have returned the space back to normal. Give the area a new paint job, replace the hardware on the cabinets and swap out the sink. These details make a huge difference in the kitchen’s final appearance. It may look even better than it did before the emergency. If you do run into some complex updates, however, be sure to hire a contractor as needed. Leave the simple stuff to the residents.

Document any damage and cleanup processes by shooting photos. These images can help you submit an insurance claim and follow it through. Legitimate claims should fund with ease so that your home can return to normal.