Basement Flooding Issues: Water Damage Restoration And Prevention

18 February 2021
 Categories: , Blog


When your basement suffers flooding, you need to act fast to help prevent serious water damage issues. The faster you react, the less risk you have of mold, structural damage, and other costly issues. The easiest and most effective means of dealing with water in your basement is to reach out to a water damage restoration contractor, but there are steps that you can take yourself as well to help mitigate the issue. Here's a look at what you need to know.

Reduce Your Risk Of Electrical Shock

Before you venture into a basement that has standing water in it, you need to be sure that you have no risk of electric shock. Remember that most basements have electrical wiring, water heaters, and other electrical components that can pose a safety hazard when water is introduced. Water is a good conductor of electricity, so you need to make sure that you have turned off the electricity at least to the affected zone of the house. It's often easiest and safest to turn the main electrical breaker off before you attempt any kind of water abatement.

Remove The Water

The next stage is to get the standing water out of the basement. If you can remove any of the basement's contents first, take them outside or to a staging area so that they can be sorted through, dried out, and treated.

Then, you'll need to identify the most effective way to eliminate the water from the basement. If you can rent a pump, set the pump outside a basement window and run the suction hose into the basement. Put the hose at the basement's lowest point since that's where the water will pool. Run the pump until you've removed as much water as possible.

You can also work with a water damage restoration contractor to do this part. They will have commercial-grade equipment to draw the water out of your basement quickly and easily. Additionally, they can then set up an air circulation system to help dry things out the rest of the way. 

Treat For Mold

Once the area is dry, you'll need to work with a water damage restoration company to prevent mold growth in the basement. Industrial mold inhibitors can help prevent the growth of mold spores. These companies specialize in the treatment and prevention of mold and similar issues after water damage exposure.

Especially if you have drainage concerns about your home's basement, you should consider installing a sump pump to help prevent water accumulation. If you do have standing water in your basement for whatever reason, work with a water damage restoration contractor to follow these steps and address the damage.


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