Flooded Basement: Practical Solutions For Homeowners

A flooded basement can be the result of a heavy downpour, flood or storm since it is the lowest portion of the house. But even if it's tedious to deal with flood, it is very important that every homeowner act quickly to extract water from it when the floodwaters have receded or rain has stopped. There are a lot of damages that can result if water is not removed at the soonest possible time. Structural damage can result and bacteria or mold will grow. Eventually, not only will there be property damage but health will be at risk as well.

Water Removal

The first thing that you should be concerned about a flooded basement is to remove accumulated water. If you do not have experience in removing water from a flooded basement, then it will be best to consult with a contractor. If not, have the water removal performed by professionals. Otherwise, you may rent water pumps since manually taking out the water will take hours or days and is entirely tedious. If you decided to remove the water yourself, make sure you dump away from your home's foundations to avoid structural damage.

Cleaning a Flooded Basement

Dealing with a flooded basement does not only entail water removal but a cleanup as well. If basement flooding was a result of a recent flood, then it is likely that your basement is a breeding ground for bacteria. Flood carries both garbage and sewage so it is extremely important to disinfect your entire basement.

Before anything else, make sure you wear proper clothing: a pair of gloves, goggles, mask and coveralls. When cleaning, start from top to bottom so you won't need to clean an area twice. Spray walls with a soap and disinfectant solution, then rinse afterwards. Bleach can be used but make sure you do not use the solution on metals such as pipes. Then, make sure you completely dry everything to avoid any mold growth.

The same thing will go for all appliances and furniture that have been soaked in water. If they are made of porous materials which are hard to dry and are extremely damaged, then throwing them away is the best solution. Rugs and carpets on the other hand, can be removed, washed and completely dried before being returned to the basement.

Long-term Solution for Frequently Flooded Basement

If your basement frequently gets flooded, then it might be time for you to think of a permanent solution. Sump pumps have grown in popularity and are the latest in flooded basement solutions. This type of pump works automatically according to the groundwater level of the lowest portion of the basement.

The pump is usually between one foot to five feet in height and an automatic switch is located inside - usually a floating switch. When water inside reaches a critical level, the pump is activated to start pumping out water to the outside, away from the home's foundations. The best thing with sump pumps is their capacity to pump water. Currently, sump pumps are equipped to pump from 1800 to 2400 gallons of water per minute, depending on the vertical length of the pump.

Homeowners have two choices in dealing with a flooded basement: one temporary and the other permanent. Water removal and cleanup is a temporary solution to a usually flooded basement. A cleanup will always be necessary since accumulated water is a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. Water removal on the other hand, may not always be done if a permanent solution, such as installing sump pumps, is made.

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