After a heavy rain, flood, or burst pipe, you may be in a situation where you need to remove standing water from your basement. There are some important things to take into consideration and only a short amount of time. Here are some tips to ensure you know what to do if a disaster were to strike.
With a lot on the line, we recommend contacting a professional water damage restoration service when you have water in your basement. Experts at ServiceMaster Restore® know how to clean up a flooded basement with the right safety measures and equipment to do the job properly.
Immediate Steps After a Basement Flood
- Turn off the power. When your basement fills with water, the first thing to do is safely turn off energy sources around the area. This includes electricity and gas. If you can’t do this without going through standing water, stay safe and leave it to a professional.
- Wear boots and gloves. It is wise to assume that floodwater can be tainted with sewage or other pollutants. You should keep clear of the area, but if you have to go near the basement for something, cover-up. Use waterproof boots and gloves to protect your skin from anything harmful in the water..
- Call your insurance company. Homeowners’ policies typically don’t cover natural floods, so check with your insurance provider to see what your coverage is. If you live in an area where flooding from natural disasters is common, you should consider adding flood insurance to your policy. Remember – it’s never good to find out after the fact that you don’t have adequate insurance.
Dangers of a Flooded Basement
There are a number of dangers associated with DIY basement water removal. The average homeowner can easily get in over their head in trying to figure out how to remove water from a basement. Because of this, we always recommend letting the experts take care of any flooding/water damage you may be facing. We know what to do with a flooded basement to mitigate the damage as much as possible and help keep you safe. However, if you ever are dealing with a flood, these are some possible hazards to be aware of:
- Graywater or blackwater. This is groundwater or rain that swells up and seeps into basements. It’s full of ground pollutants, biological agents, bacteria, and other hazards to your health. Unclean gray water or blackwater can cause serious illness and must be cleaned up carefully.
- Electric shock. Submerged appliances or outlets in your basement pose a risk of severe electric shock or even death. Never wade into water where there might be live electricity.
- Structural rot. Drywall, insulation, and beams weaken more and more as they remain underwater, putting the very structure of your home at risk. Only professionals have the right equipment to fully dry out your basement and prevent potentially catastrophic damage from occurring.
- Buckling walls. Walls can buckle when the pressure in the surrounding soil builds up due to over-saturation and inadequate drainage. An expert will be able to spot the warning signs.
If you experience flooding in your basement, don’t let a DIY job put your health and the well-being of your home at risk. Instead, contact the experts at ServiceMaster Restore. We’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to handle disasters large and small. When a flood happens, your best bet is to have professionals on-site as quickly as possible, so your home can be properly restored.
