A flood can be a nightmare. The water may come from a leaky pipe, broken toilet, or even an overflowing sink. Quite often, the first thing to do is turn off the main valve and call for emergency help. But there are other things you can do before calling in professionals like plumbers.
- One way of reducing damage caused by flooding is to use commercial dewatering pumps that pump out excess water into large containers outside of your home or business. This will prevent more water from entering your property and minimize any long-term effects such as mold growth and structural damages to your building’s foundation.
- Leave all doors and windows open to allow air to circulate. This will help all the water evaporate so you can begin drying.
- Take out all the moist items and throw them in the garbage. Flooded carpets, submerged furniture, and wet books should be thrown away to avoid mold.
- You can cut off electricity when water gets in electrical appliances like washing machines, stoves, computers, etc., so as not to cause electrocution when you are dealing with it.
- When you have collected all the wet items, use a shop-vac to suck up water from hard surfaces. Flooded carpets and sofas can be removed and laid out in direct sunlight for a few days to ensure they completely dry off before placing back in the house.
- You should leave windows open after removing carpeting to help avoid any musty smells. You can also choose to use dehumidifiers in the area to help dry out the air. This will not only speed up drying but also inhibit mold growth.
- For extra precaution, place water-absorbent material like cat litter or sandbags around doors and windows to block moisture from seeping into walls and floors. You may also try putting container pans under leaks to collect water. These steps will help avoid any flooding in the future.
- Once everything is dry, you can begin sorting through your things and see what can be salvaged or thrown out. Flooded furniture usually has to go, but other items may only need a little cleaning or repair for them to be back in use.
- Moisture meters are good devices to use when you have a flooded basement. The water restoration experts generally use it to detect moisture in walls, carpets, etc., and give out different readings as per the level of wetness or dryness as deemed fit for restoration.
- Be sure that all the appliances plugged in the wall are unplugged for your safety. If you live in an area with freezing weather, remember to drain water pipes before they freeze to avoid burst plumbing lines.
- When you are done with the basement, check if there is any mold on the walls, ceilings, or floors of your basement. If you see patches of dark green or black growths in these areas, it could be signs of hidden leaks, and you should contact a water damage restoration professional to fix them.
Now we know what we need to do if a flooded basement disaster strikes our home!