It’s hard to know where to start when you have a flooded basement. Rather than waiting a day or two to tackle such a difficult job, it is essential to begin cleaning and draining immediately.
Leaving a flooded basement – or any flooded room – in your home means exposing yourself to several kinds of damage. The risk of mold goes up the longer you wait to clear floodwater. Floodwater often contains sewage, but even rainwater can be unclean.
Too much water can also damage the structural integrity of your home, weakening wooden supports, warping and destroying drywall, and seeping into the foundation if you do not drain a flooded basement quickly.
If you are attempting to drain your flooded basement alone, there are a few things that you can do. However, you should call a water restoration company if you are not sure of what to do.
Since electricity and water are very dangerous, start by turning off the power first. To deal with the floodwater, you should use one or more small pumps. You can get these at your local hardware stores. The larger the pump and the larger diameter of the drain hose, the faster you can pump out the water. You can also fit these pumps with normal garden hoses or a larger diameter drain hose.
Make sure you route the drain hoses away from your home and avoid draining directly outside your house walls. When pumping out your basement proceed slowly and methodically in order to ensure that you do not create uneven pressures within your basement.
If flooding is a frequent problem, installing a sump pump can help. You can contact a water restoration company for an estimate if you think you need one. If there are several feet of water in your home, it may be possible to ask your local Fire Department for help draining the water.
Once the portable pumps have removed the water from your basement, all that should remain is large puddles and dampness. Use a wet vac or a large floor squeegee to remove most of this remaining water. Then clean with a disinfectant to help with bacteria and odors.
After the room has been cleared of the puddles, the area will still be damp. Not only should you use fans and dehumidifiers in order to remove the water from the air and the surrounding areas, but also remove any damaged furniture and furnishings. These will all have suffered damage if the water levels were high enough and leaving them in the room will only promote mold growth.
When using dehumidifiers, you should run them constantly in order to achieve the best results. Always check the catch pan for the collected water and make sure to empty it when full. Sometimes dehumidifiers will have check alarms to alert you when the catch pan is full. Larger units may also include a port where you can connect a drainage hose.
After you have drained your basement, you may also need t make repairs. This usually includes repairing drywall or replacing flooring.
If you need help draining a flooded basement, our certified experts offer 24-hour service and 30-minute response. Call 1-888-443-3110 now for a free quote and immediate flood damage cleanup.
