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What Should You Do When Your Basement Floods?
7/14/2020 (Permalink)
Flooding in Fairfield can get to be overwhelming - Do you know what to do if your basement floods?
When you get home from a long day at work in Fairfield County, the last thing you want to find is a foot of water in your basement. Your furniture and other belongings may be submerged in water, carpets may be saturated or even floating, and your basement walls may take on moisture as well.
What are you supposed to do first? Who should you call for help? Flooded basement cleanup can be overwhelming for even the most experienced homeowner - Call SERVPRO of Westport/Fairfield 24/7 for immediate emergency service.
8 Things to Do When Your Basement Floods
- Keep safety at the top of your mind. You should never enter a flooded crawlspace or basement without assessing the situation first. If the water is covering the entire basement or is more than a few inches deep, you may need to turn off the electricity and gas before entering. Even after the power is off, enter with caution! There may be electrical appliances that are submerged in water and can pose a risk to your safety. You should also find the appropriate gear to wear into the basement if the water is possibly contaminated and could make you ill.
- Find the source of your basement water problem. You can't effectively clean up your flooded basement if it is still actively flooding. If the source is groundwater from heavy rains, wait until the storm has passed and water stops seeping into your basement. If flooding is due to a burst pipe, HVAC leak, or a faulty appliance, you should immediately shut off the source of the flooding. It may be obvious, but these steps can save you a lot of time and cash.
- If you have a drainage system or a sump pump in your basement, see if they're clogged or working. If you can get these working, the flooding can drain and the worst part may resolve itself.
- Begin the basement water removal process. Depending on the amount of water, you may not be able to clean it up yourself. If water is not covering the entire basement, try and use a wet dry vacuum to get up as much as you can. You can even use a mop, rags, and a bucket. If there is more than an inch or two of water covering the majority of your basement, it may be best to call a flood removal company like SERVPRO of Westport/Fairfield. Water damage restoration companies have specialized equipment like extractors to quickly remove and pump water out of your basement.
- Remove any wet or water damaged items. Throw away things that can't be saved, and move salvageable items to another place so that they can dry more easily.
- Begin the basement drying process. Set up any household fans or dehumidifiers that you have in the most saturated areas. Unfortunately, many times household equipment cannot completely dry out a basement that was flooded because it just isn't powerful enough. In these cases, you should call SERVPRO of Westport/Fairfield to handle the drying process for you. Our teams use commercial grade equipment to quickly dry-out your basement, and they can also perform any other demolition, like flood cuts, to ensure your basement is fully dried. Our crews even perform a moisture reading before removing equipment and declaring work completed.
- Clean and sanitize the basement walls and floors. You want to make sure any leftover dirt or contaminants are not left behind from the flood water, especially if it was from something like a broken sewage pipe. This step is also important to help prevent mold from growing in your basement - which may begin to spread in as little as 48 hours after flood damage.
- Research what you can do to prevent future floods in your basement. If something simply needs to be fixed like a pipe or sump pump, get it done as soon as possible. If groundwater was the source of flooding, take steps to waterproof your basement, install a sump pump, or change where water runs off your property from the gutters. These small steps can save you a lot of time, money, and frustration in the future.
Why Is My Basement Flooding?
Flooding or wet basements have numerous causes:
- Water heaters or furnaces letting go
- Burst pipes
- Broken refridgerator lines
- Washing machine overflow
- Rainwater through: Cracks in the foundation, water seepage, failed sump pump, failed drainage system
Should I Call A Professional To Cleanup My Flooded Basement?
There are definitely cases where you can handle cleaning up a small amount of flooding in your basement by yourself! But, if the water covers your entire basement or is deeper than an inch or two, we strongly recommend calling a flooded basement company, like SERVPRO of Westport/Fairfield.
As a professional water damage company, we have the equipment, training, and experience to return your basement back to normal in as little as three days. Working fast is essential when it comes to water in your home to prevent the growth of mold & mildew, odors, and structural issues.