What To Do When Your Basement Floods
Causes of a Flooded Basement
Basement flooding can occur for several reasons, including broken water supply lines, hot water tank failure or aging plumbing. In most cases, basement flooding is a result of heavy rainfall combined with improper yard drainage and no basement waterproofing.
Heavy rainfall can cause water to pool-up around your foundation. Water will naturally gravitate downward along your foundation walls and find its way it through tiny cracks and pours. It can also cause storm sewers to overload and backup, leading to an overflow of your sump-pump.
With any reason, there are steps you can take to prevent future flooding problems, but those come after the fact. In the meantime, here is what to do when your basement floods to minimize water damage and restore your home to safe living conditions.
Assessing a Flooded Basement
First, determine what caused the basement to become flooded. Was it storm-related? Was it sudden or accidental? If you can’t figure how the flooding was caused without getting wet, then stop and call a professional restoration company. You should never enter flood waters in your home due to the risk of electrocution. A restoration expert will be able to determine if it’s safe to enter and may be able to identify the cause of the flood.
Next, contact your insurance company to see if your water damage is covered under your homeowner’s insurance policy. The cause of the water damage and the policy you have will determine if its covered. Most insurance policies cover sudden or accidental water damage caused by a storm as opposed to gradual water damage like water leaking from a pipe or seepage coming from cracks in the foundation floors and walls.
Cleaning a Flooded Basement
Once the flooding has subsided, you can begin the water mitigation process. If the amount of water is minimal, you may be able to remove it yourself with a standard wet-dry vac. However, if the water level is more than a quarter-inch high and covering a large amount of space, you should call a professional restoration company. They’ll be able to begin the water mitigation process right away by using commercial-grade equipment.
After the excess what is removed, you’ll want to dry-out the space as quickly as possible using dehumidifiers and fans. Getting rid of the excess moisture is crucial for preventing mold growth. You can buy or rent these supplies, or simply save time and avoid the risk of not doing it correctly by hiring a professional restoration company. They’ll also be able to properly clean and sanitize all the affected areas where the water damage occurred.
Once the water mitigation process is complete, you can begin the water restoration process. This includes focusing on repairing the water damage that was cause to the home itself, like the walls and flooring. Simply put, restoring the home and its features back to the condition it was in a before the flood took place. You’ll want to use new, undamaged materials to prevent the risk of mold growth.
Recapping the Process
Removing water from a flooded basement and repairing water damage is a difficult and often dangerous task that is best left to a professional, experienced restoration company.
Stay safe and get the job done right by contacting your local restoration experts at LM Companies LLC for an immediate response – we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Learn more about our process here.
