Flooded Basement Basics For Homeowners

By Author: Leo Nov
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Flooded basement stories go from alarming to devastating. The effect varies depending on the importance of the basement to the homeowner. Some people use the basement for storage purposes, specifically things they do not use anymore, while others keep valuable things like collections and memorabilia or utilize their basements as bar or entertainment room. The impact may be so much more for the latter but all basement owners will go through the same thing - water removal and basement cleanup.

Causes and Prevention

Flooding may be a result of insufficient planning or simply because of unavoidable disasters. Perhaps your house is built on low lying lands and is naturally prone to flooding. In such case, it is best to invest in a sump pump and check it at least annually to see if it's clean and working properly. There are instances that you only need to do necessary home maintenance. Check your drainage system, clean eavestroughs or report blocked gutters. Are your floor tiles sealed properly? These are just some factors that you can work on to prevent a flooded basement. You can't do anything about naturally ...
... occurring disasters but you can always do something to make your home prepared to face such.

Cleanups

Safety first - no matter how trite that sounds to you, it is a warning you can't ignore. Do not attempt to go down the basement and save your belongings. Turn off electricity from the main switch first. Wear proper gear such as boots, gloves and face mask. Even if it's not black water you are dealing with, you never know what kind of bacteria is already present. Also, rodents or snakes may have entered the basement. Keep in mind that flooding may weaken a structure. Water removal should be done gradually because walls could collapse if you do it in one go.

Some situations may be too much for a homeowner. If possible, hire professionals to do the water removal and basement cleanup for you. They know how to best handle such situation. If you have a home insurance policy, check the coverage because you may be surprised that some do not include flooded basement.
Leo Nov is an editorial staff member of RestorationSOS.com, a leading service provider for fire and water damage cleanups. To learn more about flooded basements and water extraction, visit RestorationSOS.com