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Massive rains and downpours can be happily enjoyed in the comfort of your home, but if you find yourself with a flooded basement, things can get real messy. Handling the issue without professional help can further complicate the matters.
Water issues can’t be ignored, and you must take care of flooded basements immediately. Here are a few steps you can take on your own to minimize the damages.
What's Inside?
Act Fast
This kind of water damage can be long-lasting with severe consequences. This is why you must act fast in resolving this issue. Not only that, but you will have loads of prized possessions in your basement, which can get ruined every second they stay in the water. Since your basement may have electric wiring and valuables that need saving, calling professionals to handle this issue makes more sense.
Having a plan to tackle flooded basements is the best precautionary step to take, that way, you can quickly handle the situation without panicking.
Call Your City’s Water Department
If this is happening for the first time, you can call your local city officials to understand how the pipes and drains function in your area, to see how the water has entered your house. This is especially the case if the water is sewage water. Calling the city’s sewage management teams can guide you on how to deal with the mess.
Remove the Water
Naturally, this is the most important step as this is the root of the issue. Ankle-level water can only be cleaned with a proper vacuum. This device is only provided by professional plumbers you can call upon to clean the basement.
Some houses also have a sump pump, a device that automatically removes any water that enters the basement. If you don’t have a sump pump installed, now would be the perfect time to get it. If you have a sump pump and it didn’t do its job, you will have to check your pump as there might be a malfunction.
Wear Protective Gear
While the flooding may look like just water, you have no idea about the contents of the water and where it came from. Before you try to find these facts out, you must gear up with the appropriate protective wear such as gloves, eye protection, mask, and gumboots.
If you have a leakage of sewage water by chance, it’s important to be wary of dangerous chemicals that can be in the water. Be careful not to track back the flood water upstairs as it can prove to be harmful to everyone in your family.
Make Things Dry
Moist surfaces are a breeding ground for mold and fungi, so even if you’ve taken out all the water with a vacuum, you need to ensure that everything is dry. Otherwise, you’ll come back in a few weeks to discover mold on everything you love.
The best way to do this would be to invest in some dehumidifiers and fans to dry out the area easily. Manual drying isn’t even an option as it would take far too long.
Throw Out Questionable Items
This isn’t a garage sale where you can decide what you want and keep it or keep things that have sentimental value. While you will try to salvage whatever you can post the floods, the safest thing to do is to get rid of anything that may have been exposed to chemicals or is not worth saving.
While the flood is tragic, this may make it more painful but throw away anything affected by the flood.
Scrub the Floors
Scrubbing the floors clean from the flood water is essential to save them from further deterioration. Use a simple solution of chlorine with water along with protective gear and scrub out the tiles.
Remove Other Waste
The most common type of waste that comes along with floodwater is old leaves and mud. These also have to be cleaned and rid of as they can start growing mold and fungus.
Take Care of Important Documents
Most families store crucial documents in the basement because they don’t realize the threat of floods. If your documents have gotten wet, you can salvage a few by keeping them in the freezer for a short while. As it dries up, they can be used later on.
Get Professional Help
While you might be capable of cleaning things and getting the problem solved, doing all the work without help can be difficult. This is why it’s okay to call professionals for handling flooded basements.
These teams will come and tackle the problem from top to bottom. They’ll also give helpful tips on how to prevent this from happening again. Prevention of floods is a lot easier to deal with than actual flooding.
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