No one should be living their daily life constantly afraid of what might be around the corner, or what crisis might fall into their lap next. However, being caught completely off-guard, without any idea of what to do next, can result in a lot more damage and a lot more money lost. Here, we’re going to look at some of the emergencies that can occur inside and around the home that you should have the plan to deal with, or at least know how to get help with, so that you can prevent them from costing more and causing more harm than they might, otherwise.
The heating isn’t working well enough
If you find that a cold snap finds you and your family particularly cold, that isn’t something that you should underestimate. Not being able to fight off the cold can be very bad for the health, indeed, and there are plenty of ways to potentially fix it. If your home is always feeling cold, then checking with your heating system should be your first priority, naturally. However, beyond that, you should look at things like whether you have the insulation that you need, how to close up air gaps in the home, and whether to replace old doors or windows that might be letting the heat escape.
Springing a leak
There are different kinds of leaks that can affect your household, but the most common type is the type that comes from inside the home. First of all, you might not always be able to see a leak. You should keep an eye out for signs of an unseen leak, like running water noises when the home is quiet, unusually high water bills or musty smells in the home. If you have identified a leak, then the first thing you should do is find your water mains and turn them off before calling for some emergency plumbing. The water mains can cut the feed of water to the home, immediately stopping the crisis until you can get the help that you need.
A leak from above
There are leaks that can come from outside the home, as well. Although not all of them are going to begin there, the vast majority of them start with the roof. The first thing that you should do when you see a leak from above is trying to investigate the source as best as possible without endangering yourself. This might mean checking the attic or the roof. You can make sure the water doesn’t do any more damage by catching it before it makes its way through the home, and maybe even tarp the roof to redirect it temporarily, but you need to contact professional roofers to take care of it.
Blocked drains and pipes
There might not be a leak yet, but when you can see that there is clearly a blocked drain or pipe in the home, it’s only a matter of time before that damage spreads. Some blocks can be cleaned relatively easily, whether it’s by removing a shower drain and clearing out any hair stuck there, or using a plunger to get the toilet running again. Hot water, baking soda, and vinegar can be good for breaking down solid matter in blocked pipes, but you should always keep in mind that you should ask the plumber to take care of it if you’re unable. You want to be careful about making too many attempts to clear blocked pipes, as you can do more damage than good if you’re not careful.
Water damage is affecting the home
It’s not just the leak itself that can pose a real emergency threat to the home. If you’ve discovered a leak, a burst pipe, or something else that has caused water to make its way inside the home, then there’s a good chance that there’s also going to be water damage. If you spot water damage, then the first thing you should do is remove any items from the area. If any smells musty or has been damaged by water, you should throw it away, including carpet or fabric. Dry out affected areas as best as you can, but you might want to get in touch with a water damage remediation team if the damage is particularly extensive, as it can involve things like removing flooring or drywall to replace it.
The dangers of mold
Spotting mold in the home might not be as quite as much of an emergency as water damage, but the two are often linked, and you certainly don’t want to leave mold lying around for too long. The first thing you should do about mold is to see if you can simply clean it away. That’s not always possible and, in some cases, you may need to repaint the area that is affected by mold, instead. There is plenty of great anti-mold paint that can stop it from affecting the same area again. Improving the ventilation around the area. For instance, a moldy bathroom can be greatly improved with the addition of a vent to take the humid air outside, while some other spots might benefit from a dehumidifier.
Getting locked out of the home
Let’s take a moment to look at some of the emergencies that don’t involve water or moisture, a very common one, and one that can feel like quite the silly outcome, but can still be quite serious, is getting locked out of your home. It can be a lot more than just a nuisance, it can be a real safety issue if there is inclement weather or there’s medication inside the home that you need. While it’s not a bad idea to entrust a spare key to someone you trust who is usually available and accessible, you should still make sure that you have the number of an emergency locksmith on hand.
Losing power
In the vast majority of the cases where the power goes out for your home and the surrounding area, you normally need only way a while, sometimes a few hours, for the grid to get repaired and for the lights to come back on. However, some people might live in areas that get blackouts more often due to bad weather, or some people might be further away from towns and therefore not as likely to get attention as immediately as they would like. If blackouts become a recurring issue for your home, then you might want to seriously consider installing a backup generator for the home that can kick in and start providing power immediately as soon as you lose it.
A gas leak
Every homeowner with a home that uses gas should abe aware of the signs of a gas leak. The most common one of the ‘rotten egg’ smell that is added to gas supplies specifically to make it easier to identify. If you smell rotten eggs in the home, turn off the electrics as best as you can, open the doors and windows to air out of the home, and make sure that, above all else, you don’t light any matches or open flames. You should get in touch with a licensed gas fitter to resolve the situation for you,b ut you want to make sure above else that you and your family stay safe, removing yourself from the property until you can get help.
Of course, we can’t cover every single potential emergency here, but hopefully, you’ve got a good idea of some of the most important that you should be focused on. It’s up to you to do the prep work now.
