The last thing you want to come home to after a long day of work is a flooded basement. It’s easy to panic and stress, but that won’t help your flood situation get any better—in fact, panicking will almost definitely make it worse.
Never enter a flooded area while your power is on.
What do I do if my basement floods?
- Shut off electricity, gas, and any other utilities to the area. If you’re not sure how to, call an electrician or restoration specialist. Never enter a flooded area while your power is on.
- Try to figure out where the water is coming from and what may have caused the flood
- After an expert determines that the area is safe you can wear protective gear like boots, gloves and a mask, and enter the water to investigate the source further. If there is a drain in your basement, check to see if it is clogged.
- Removed the water from your basement. If you just have a small flood, you should be able to use towels, a mop, or a wet vac. If your flood is bigger than those items could handle, call an expert like Elite Restoration.
- Dry out any items that have been damaged by the water. Take items out of boxes to and make sure all of your water damaged items are able to air out effectively. If the drying process takes longer than 2 days, the items unfortunately may be unsalvagable.
- Put fans in the basement to get air flowing. This will help dry out any remaining moisture.
How to prevent your basement from flooding?
Hindsight is always 20/20, but can you prevent flooding before it happens? There are some preventative measure you can take to help waterproof your basement and protect your home from water damage.
- Clean out your rain gutters and make sure they’re pointed away from your home
- After the next heavy rain, make sure there aren’t any puddles in your yard. If there are, you need to have your yard regraded so water drains away from your home.
- Make sure your basement’s egress windows aren’t leaking
- Install a sump pump that will automatically pump out floodwater detected in your basement
When to call for help with basement flooding:
Dealing with basement flooding and the water damage that it causes is no small task. If you have more than a minor flood, you’ll want to call a professional to help. Elite Restoration has the expertise to get your water removed and your home or business dried out thoroughly and in a timely fashion. Our certified and experienced professionals understand that the last thing you need when your property floods is more stress than you already have. Our team handles your emergency water damage clean up and repairs promptly and professionally, so you can have satisfaction and peace of mind.