What To Do When Your Basement Floods
A flooded basement can be a costly and stressful finding for many homeowners. Imagine you’ve gone downstairs to find your basement has flooded. What do you do now? Whatever the reason for your flooding, knowing which steps to take next in this event can help ease the panic.
Basements become flooded for a variety of reasons, including too much rain downpour, a malfunction of your sub-pump, or burst pipes. Not only are flooded basements a hassle to clean up, but they can also cause a hazard in your home. Keep reading below to learn what to do when your basements flood next. While you hope this doesn’t happen, these preparations will help you stay calm and focused if your basement does flood.
Removing water from your basement as promptly as possible is best. This limits the chance of further damage and helps prevent the growth of mold and mildew. Mold and mildew flourish in dark and damp places, just like the basement.
Call an Electrician
Gas and electricity must be shut off in the basement before you wade through pools of water. If your circuit breaker or gas line is in the basement, you may need to call an electrician to have these shut off. If located elsewhere, be sure to shut these off before walking through pools of water.
Never enter a flooded area while power is still on. This can cause danger. If you have a dehumidifier, turning this on can help remove some moisture from the basement.
Preparing to Enter
Once power is off, you’ll need to dress properly to go down further into the basement. Before stepping into the water, gear up properly to protect yourself. Wear boots and gloves to protect yourself. Depending on how much water is present, waders could be helpful.
If you’re not able to determine the cause of the flooding, you may need to call a trusted professional.
Removing the Water
Of course, the natural response when you’ve found your basement flooding is to attempt to remove the water. First, try to assess how much water has flooded your basement. It can sometimes be hard to tell. You may need to use something to measure the water. Knowing how much water you’re dealing with will change how you approach clean-up.
If the water is minimal, you may be able to remove water with a wet vac. Wet vacs are available to rent or purchase at many local hardware and home improvement stores.
Major amounts of water may be beyond the capacity of a wet vac to remove. This is likely to require professional water clean-up, especially in instances where there are more than 2 feet of water present. WeDry USA offers 24/7 emergency services to help you clear water safely, no matter what time of day or night.
After the water has been removed, soak up as much of the excess moisture with towels or sponges. It is important to try to tackle as much moisture as possible, to prevent damage, as well as mold and mildew.
Move Items Out to Dry
If items have been damaged, do your best to move these damaged items out of the water. Move them into a dry, well-ventilated area. The basement is too damp of a room to keep these items in, so they will need to be placed elsewhere. If weather permits, placing items outside to dry in the sun can be helpful.
Give your items at least 48 hours to dry out thoroughly. The quicker items are removed from water, the better the chances of saving them. If items are still wet after two days, they may need to be discarded. Mold and mildew can grow if the items remain wet for too long.
Cleaning Up
Any areas of wet carpet should be ripped up and removed from the basement. In situations with large amounts of water, the carpet can prevent the floor from being able to dry entirely. Wet carpeting can sometimes be saved, but not always.
Flooring should be properly scrubbed, using a solution of bleach and water. This will help clean dirt and debris that may have entered your basement. When cleaning, keep the room ventilated properly with fans, if possible.
Have important papers or valuable documents that got wet? One trick is to put them in the freezer. You may be able to salvage them and prevent mildew growth using this trick. Of course, items of value should ideally not be stored in the basement to start with.
Calling a trusted property damage and water restoration company can help reduce the stress of cleaning up water in your basement. We arrive in less than an hour too, so you’ll receive prompt service to help clear your basement.
WeDry Can Help
Addressing the initial cause of the basement flood can prevent a recurrence. If you’ve got water in your basement, you need the professional team at WeDry USA.
But, don’t wait until it’s too late. We also have flood prevention methods you can start using today. Preventing floods before they occur is the best way to free yourself of the hassle and damage to your items!
