How To Clean Up After A Basement Flood

When Your Basement Floods

If you are a homeowner who has ever had a flooded basement, then you know that it can be extremely annoying. Water damage can be severe, and depending on the amount of time that the water has flooded the basement, it can completely destroy the items that are in the basement. 

Because of the precarious nature of the basement, it is more prone to flooding than other areas of your house. If you have furniture or even an apartment in the basement, a flood could potentially leave family or renters without a home for a while. 

There are several things that you can take as a homeowner to prevent flooding, but if flooding does occur, you do well to know the steps that you should take for the cleanup.

Who Should You Call?

When your basement floods, the first thing that you may want to do is begin to clean up, but you do need to take a few things into consideration. If there are electronic devices or any other electrical component that are affected by the flooding, you do well to first call an electrician. 

You want to have all of the power that is going to the basement turned off in order to avoid shock or even a fire. After you have gotten all of the electrical components taken care of, then you do well to identify the source of the flood. Flooding can be due to various issues. Some of these issues include the following: sewer pipe overflow, cracks in the foundation, or pipes bursting. 

If the flood involves any type of sewage, you want to get in contact with a plumber. Sewage waste is not only smelly and gross, but it can also be hazardous to your health. You do not want to try to clean that up on your own. So, call a professional sewer line cleaning company in Austin, or Dallas, to do the needed cleaning, and also inspect the area for other possible damages.

What Things Can You Do?

If you have identified the source of the flooding and you know that it has nothing to do with sewage, then there is some clean-up that you may do. You do well to remove the furniture from the basement area. Apart from that, if there is carpeting and you know how to do it, you can pull up the carpet as well. 

You can mop or clean up the visible water that is on the floor as well. Cleaning a flooded basement can be tiring, and it can also be extremely time-consuming. You may just decide to make adjustments to the flooring in your basement after you have had to clean up after a flood; this may especially be the case if you have a carpeted basement. What you can also do is hire out experts like ‘58 Foundations and let them help you.

Prevention and Repairs

When it comes to basement flooding, you do well to work with professionals. A professional can come out and take preventative measures on your home to prevent a flood from occurring in the first place. This professional can fix the foundation around your basement. Cracks in the foundation can cause flooding. 

You also do well to take preventative steps such as cleaning out your gutters, making sure your sewage line is clean, and making sure that your sump pump is in good working order. Flooding can cost you anywhere from $10,000-$50,000, so take preventative measures, if possible, in order to prevent an expensive mess in your basement.