The biggest nightmare for any home owner is a flooded basement.
There are numerous causes of flooded basements, such as failed sanitary lateral, plumbing system failure, broken pipes, sump pumps, hurricanes, heavy rains, and so on. However, when this happens, timely action is necessary in order to prevent even more damage and destruction.
In this article, we are going to tell you everything you need to do in order to act timely when your basement floods unexpectedly:
Contact a professional contractor
The first thing you should do when you notice your home basement flooding, is contacting a professional home contractor Cloverdale.
You must act immediately, so no further damage can be caused. Of course, if your basement is only flooded a few inches or less, you can fix the flooding yourself. However, only a professional home contractor in Cloverdale can quickly determine the root cause of the flooding.
Shut off any power
Until the professional contractor arrives at your home, the first thing you should do is shut off the power supply to your basement.
Electricity and water together are synonyms to disaster. Not only will such circumstances cause undesirable damage, but can potentially pose a threat to other people.
Therefore, you must shut off any power around that particular area. This also includes gas, to avoid any other inconvenience that may be caused.
Remember, never step your foot in a flooded area if the power is still on, and refrain anyone else from entering that area as well.
Moreover, you must also be cautious of staying away from other electrical supplies in or near your basement area even after you have cut off the power supply, such as televisions, stereos, or lamps.
Determine the source of the water
So, your basement is flooded, but where is the water coming from? What caused this flood? As mentioned earlier, there are different causes of a flooded basement. But, it is essential to determine the ultimate source of the water.
Before you go ahead to determine the actual source of the water, don’t forget to wear your protective gloves and boots. For even better protection, go for a protective mask, hip/chest waders, and take careful steps in case you accidentally slip.
If you notice broken or burst pipes, then you must immediately shut off the water supply to the basement to stop the basement from flooding even more.
You must also look for clogged pipes, which are another cause of flooded basements.
Besides that, if the flood was caused due to a hurricane or heavy rain. Then make sure to assess your basement when such harsh weather conditions are over.
Pump out the water and dry the home basement
The only way to bring your basement back to normal is to get rid of the flooded water. Therefore, now you must figure out a way to remove all the flooded water from your basement.
There are numerous ways you can do that, depending on how much water makes its way into your basement.
You can consider using a mop or bucket if there is comparatively lesser water, or go for a sump pump, pool pump, or a vacuum.
For the final touching of the basement floor, get ready for some good floor scrubbing. If your basement floor is made out of vinyl tile, linoleum, or any other hard surface. One cup of chlorine bleach would do the job.
You must also not forget to dry out your basement. This is incredibly important to eliminate the risk of mold and mildew growing in your basement, which grows wherever they find adequate moisture.
When this happens, you will be appalled by the damage caused and will have to spend quite a lot on your basement. Therefore, you must consider getting your hands on some effective dehumidifiers. And fans in order to move air around and dry up your basement for good.
Move the damaged items outside
Now, for those items that haven’t touched the flooded water, salvage them and keep them away. But, as for those that did get in contact with the flooded water, you must take them out from the basement, and dry them out. This is because your furniture or carpets, for example. Will easily be able to promote the growth of mildew or mold, which is why you must dry them out to get rid of any excess water immediately.
Now, keeping the damaged items in your basement after it has been flooded won’t really be such a good idea.
Because your basement might probably still be damp from the floodwater. You should definitely move your items out from the basement and into a well-ventilated area.
If it’s sunny outside, then don’t think twice about moving your items outdoors for them to dry off properly.
