What to Do When Your Basement Floods

Has your basement flooded and you don’t know what to do about it?

This is a sponsored post. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.

Don’t worry, here are the things you should do:

Turn off the main electricity!

This is the foremost first thing you should do before you decide to even step your foot in, as you may end up getting electrocuted – call your power company if you do not know how to access the main switchboard and do not touch any electrical appliances.

• Once the main supply of the electricity is turned off, get yourself a pair of boots and gloves and enter the area only if it’s two feet deep or lower. Anything deeper is not safe for you to enter so call your local water restoration and dewatering service for help.
• Once you enter, make sure to move slowly as you may risk slipping, bumping, and falling into the water.
  If you do have a drain in your basement make sure to check the drains if they are clogged, if it’s a manageable clog, get yourself a plunger and try opening up the clogged drains. In case the clogs do not open up, call your local plumber for help.

Meanwhile, get a water vacuum or a bucket if you don’t have one and remove as much water as you can and make sure to dump it out safely. It is important to remove water as soon as possible to prevent mold/fungi to grow on it, Which will destroy your walls and your submerged belongings.

In case there’s too much water call a dewatering/pumping service to do it for you.

• Once the water is out, remove all the surrounding furniture, items, damp carpets, appliances, etc. out of the area and make sure to wash it well with disinfectants to prevent mold and other bacteria present in it, especially if you have carpets as they absorb water and can have fungi/mold or other harmful bacteria present in them. Soak the carpets in detergents and disinfectants for a while to eliminate all the harmful substances.
• Once you remove all the surrounding belongings, scrub the floor as well as the walls especially the submerged areas with disinfectants to remove all the dirt and prevent the growth of mold/fungi. Make sure you have a face mask on you as well, as stagnant water can contain bacteria and other microorganisms that can float in the air too.
• Once you’ve scrubbed the whole flooded area well, leave the scrub on it for 5-10 minutes for the disinfectants to kill every possible harmful bacteria on it. Once done, wash it well with clean water.
• Now the final step is to dry the area, you can do it easily with multiple fans around to speed up the drying process or you can use a dehumidifier too.

Other things you should do is keep a regular check on your basement drains to see if they clog or construct drains if you do not have them so you won’t have to face a similar situation again.