Water damage is nothing new and year after year you see floating cars and building top peeping just above the water level. The damage caused by the sudden water inflow is detrimental and added to this is the time and money wasted in renovating and rearranging the items after the water damage. Some of the damaged pieces can be rectified while a few of them are beyond repair.

Billions of dollars are lost every year to water damage and this can be controlled to a large extent by proper water disaster management tips and techniques. It is not just the torrential rains that cause water damage and there are lots of factors apart from the rain water seeping in to the basement. Even a minor broken pipe or overflowing sink is enough to spoil your day and annoy the proceedings. Other common causes that cause water damage are leaks in roof and walls, improper ventilation, increased level of humidity and slow water exit in the basement.

The things get worse when you are caught unaware and the walls and carpets get soaked in water even before you know what is happening. The house turns into a mess and it is really disturbing to clean the damaged the area without any further delay. Things become worse when people walk into your house and delve into the personal belongings.

Given below are few simple steps that help you to clean up the water damage on your own without any third party's assistance. This helps to prevent any further water damage and also you can take control immediately without waiting for some one to arrive and do things. Here is the list of things to do.

1. The first thing to do immediately is to switch off the main switch and this prevents any incidents of electrical shock. Do not ever get into the water clogged are without when the power is on.

2. Next step is to find out the nature of water and categorize it as clean, gray or black water and take the necessary steps accordingly. Clean water is not harmful and it comes from over flowing sink where as the grey and black water contain contaminants and this is not fit for consumption and cause problems if exposed to it.

3. Make sure that you have necessary tools, equipments and safety outfits like puncture resistant gloves, vacuum, deodorizers, carpet cleaning and disinfectants before getting into cleaning the affected area.

4. The water should be totally removed by using a wet or dry pump and water resistant pump to avoid any mold growth.

5. Once the floor is perfectly dry, the carpet must be cleaned properly to remove the debris and then treat it with disinfectants to control any bacterial growth. Then apply deodorize to maintain the freshness and make it feel and smell good even after the water damage.

6. There is no point in holding on to the padding below the carpet as it would be damaged by now.

7. This should be followed by treating the baseboards in disinfectants and then making air cavities in the damaged wall.

8. Check out for any visible damage in the furniture and other fixtures that are exposed to water and are liable to warp and peel out. Similarly also make sure that the metal items made of steel do not show any signs of corrosion.

9. Once the things are arranged and placed in order, the room has to be put under air dryer and dehumidifier to ensure that each and every single piece of item in the area is fully dry.

10. The last step is to value the damage with the help of an insurance agent and then raise a claim to cover up for the costs.