Affordable Flooded Basement Cleanup

Nearly every homeowner will experience some form of water damage, and if you have a cellar, it’s pretty much a guarantee that you will get water in the basement.  In fact, studies have concluded that 98% of all basements will suffer from some form of water damage at some point in their existence.  A flooded basement may be caused by any number of issues, cracks in the foundation, inadequate drainage, broken seals around windows, burst pipes, but whatever the case flooded basement cleanup is somewhat of an exact science.

To clean a flooded basement, you’ll need to determine where the water is coming from and either plug it or shut it off, or do whatever it takes to stop it.  Cleaning up will do little good if more comes in to replace it.

Shut off all electricity to your basement.  You don’t want to be standing on flooded basement carpet in six inches of water when the power comes back on.  Trust me.

Flooded Water in the Basement Repair

Excess water will need to be removed from the area using pumps or wet-dry vacs.  Which one you use depends of course o the depth and severity of the spill.  Avoid electric pumps, for obvious reasons, and under no circumstances should you use a regular household vacuum cleaner to try and remove water.  You'll only end up buying a new vacuum cleaner.

Secondary drying should be done through the use of air circulators such as fans or blowers or dehumidifiers.  The more units you can utilize, the better off you will be.  Be sure to move the units around every few hours to ensure complete and total drying coverage.  Complete drying is a must as it will reduce the chance of basement mold.  If you do find mold, call a professional to deal with it immediately (as it brings with it all kinds of health hazards from the slight allergic reaction to more serious cases such as lung disease).

When pumping water of any depth out of a basement, you want to proceed slowly but methodically.  Pumping the water out too fast may result in uneven pressure which could weaken structural members, making the walls prone to collapse.  Pumps the water out at the rate of about a third a day and everything should be fine.

Obviously, a waterproof basement would be ideal, and you should check now, before you have a problem, for any cracks in the concrete or foundation, broken window seals, and make sure the surrounding landscape has adequate runoff and natural drainage.  You may also want to install a sump pump or sump pit to take care of any water accumulation before it becomes a problem.

For best results, contact your local water damage professional.  They offer a complete range of service to meet all of your basement water damage needs, from water extraction and removal, to carpet cleaning and mold removal, to structural repair and reconstruction as needed.  Be sure the company you choose is certified by an industry leader such as the RIA or IICRC, and call them today for a free estimate or phone consultation.

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