If you’ve recently experienced basement flooding, there are key steps you need to take following this type of event. To keep your family and home safe, here are some of the following precautions you need to perform after your basement floods.
Seal the leak and drain the water
Determine the source of the leak so your basement doesn’t flood while you’re trying to clean it. If it stemmed from rainwater, you might need to call a sealing company to find cracks, but a broken pipe is easily taped up as a temporary solution when you shut off your water supply.
Your first step is to check that your basement drain isn’t clogged and that your sump pump is working to get rid of water. If these two items aren’t combatting water quickly enough, you might need to purchase or rent a dry/wet vacuum.
Get a sump pump
If you don’t have one already, or if your sump pump needs to be reinstalled following a flood, call a local sump pump installation service as soon as possible. Most homes are built with sump pumps from day one to help stop and solve flooding issues. They also perform testing for radon. Sump pumps are essential for detecting and blocking radon from entering the home and stopping future floods in your home. Even passive radon mitigation systems have been effective in reducing levels of radon by over 50% in the home.
Get a dehumidifier
Even small amounts of water can cause serious damage to your home. Getting a dehumidifier once the water is gone will help stop mold from accumulating and help the area dry more quickly.
Toss out your carpet
If you have a fully furnished basement, removing the carpet will help your basement dry more quickly and prevent your rug from being ruined.
Call your flood insurance company
Reporting the flood to your local insurance company is essential. They might be able to make up for the damage your home received and replace any items that were ruined in the flood.
These are just some of the first essential steps you should take as a homeowner with a flooded basement. Be sure to call your flood insurance and local sump pump installation service as quickly as you can to protect your family’s assets. If you’re worried radon has accumulated in your home, local radon testing may need to be performed following a flood.
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