• • Before you do anything, document your damage with photos and/or video. Check with your insurance company to see if that's enough. If you have to remodel, these photos also will serve as a roadmap for any contractors who put it back together.
  • When removing drywall, cut it as straight as possible and remove it at two-foot or four-foot marks to be most efficient. Drywall comes in four-foot sheets and you want as few cuts as possible. Taking a two-foot section off of your wall means you can make a single cut in a sheet of drywall for replacement.
  • Use bleach water in a spray bottle to prevent mold from growing on walls or floors. Be sure to wear rubber gloves, a protective mask and eyewear to avoid injury. Wear old clothes when you do this - bleach will fade any clothing it touches.
  • When removing baseboards and drywall, remove the insulation behind it because it's wet, too.
  • Deal with anything wet as soon as possible. Clothing, bedding and linens that have gotten wet should be laundered in hot water as soon as possible.
  • Don't give up on wood furniture immediately. Remember, wood is natural and it might survive flooding. Furniture such as a table could be taken outside so the sun can help dry it.
  • If you remove carpeting, be careful with sharp carpet tacks glued to the floor. You'll want to take those up so no one gets cut.
  • Rugs may not be salvageable. Before having any cleaned, make sure they're completely dry.
  • Remember that water can be anywhere. Remove electrical outlet covers to see if water seeped in behind them. You don't want a shock when you plug something in. Also, anything in flooded cabinets would have floated and shifted, so open doors carefully. You may not mind if a can of green beans falls out, but you don't want a teacup from your grandmother's china to fall out and break.
  • Check credentials and references of any contractor you hire. Angie's List, the Better Business Bureau and the Greater Houston Builder's Association (ghba.org) all can help. If a contractor offers references, call them.