What To Do If Your Basement Floods

3/23/2021 (Permalink)

Since your basement is often used for storage, vulnerable items such as electronics, textiles, and items made with paper will be damaged if they become water-logged from a flooding event. Once that happens, you may find yourself with a lot of personal belongings that could be lost forever, and employing the help of a professional restoration can keep that from happening. They can also assist with mold and mildew remediation, water removal, structure repair, and other flooding-related issues. 

Today we have some tips that can help you know what to do if your basement floods.

Call The Professionals

First, make sure anyone who is involved is safe, and being careful in navigating the situation. If you have a large amount of standing water in your basement, call your power company, electrician, and/or your professional water damage cleanup team immediately. These professionals have the tools and training to handle the situation properly and will be able to determine the safest steps to take in beginning the cleanup process without increasing the risk of fire damage exposed wiring, etc. 

Increase and Sustain Air Flow

You can use your shop-vac to clean up smaller amounts of standing water while you are waiting for the professionals to arrive. Once the water is removed, a dehumidifier or fans can be used to circulate air to discourage mold growth and mildew. Make sure to keep any machinery at least eight inches away from walls to allow for the best circulation possible. Your air conditioning can be a big help here; keep it running throughout the building for further help in discouraging a mold colony from starting. 

Use Cleaning Solution

Another way to keep mold from taking advantage of damp surfaces is by scrubbing them with a solution of one cup bleach to one gallon of water; be sure to wear gloves and protective eyewear during this process, and don’t forget to keep the room ventilated while you are using cleaning solutions.

You don’t have space anywhere else in your home or business to store excess items, so using air- and water-tight plastic bins will protect your items against a future flooding event. 

Here at SERVPRO of South and Northwest Grand Rapids, we have all the skills necessary to be able to help whenever you experience water damage or fire damage, and we are mold and mildew remediation specialists, too. We handle large cleanup projects for commercial business owners and smaller projects for area homeowners, and we can get your premises Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned! This franchise is independently owned and operated.