What You Need To Fix Your Flooded Basement | Billy.com

The worst possible thing has just happened in your home. Your basement flooded, and now you’ve got a serious mess on your hands. Take a minute to freak out, but don’t go beyond a minute. You need to get active immediately because letting things sit will create more of a mess. Keep reading to find out what you need to fix your flooded basement.

Cut the Power

Water and electricity don’t play well together, so the minute a flood starts in the basement, you need to cut the power. If you’re not sure where you need to go or what lines you need to cut, get in touch with an electrician to disconnect the power.

As you work your way down there, make sure you have a high-powered flashlight so you can navigate things easily. After you do a walk-through to see where all the damage is, get your phone out to take pictures. You’ll need the documentation when it’s time to file your insurance claim.

Find the Leak

This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s still worth mentioning. You need to find the root of the problem. The flood came from somewhere. Use that flashlight to locate the source and see if there is something you can do to stop the problem temporarily.

If it managed to flood the entire basement, then it’s not a little issue. If it only flooded a portion, you might be able to temporarily stop the flood by plugging up the source of the water. Check the walls, windows, floor cracks, bathtubs, sinks, pipes, and floor drains.

Get a Wet-Dry Vacuum

Now you need to get the water up. Arm yourself with a wet-dry vacuum and a sump pump, using the sump pump first to get up all the water. Make sure you rent a gasoline-powered sump pump.

Next, get the wet vacuum to remove all the remaining water. It will clean out all the low-lying water and puddles that the sump pump can’t reach. You need to get the basement as dry as possible so that when it’s time to repair, you don’t run into more issues.

Remove Soaked Items

Even with the sump pump and the wet vacuum, there will still be some damaged items. You did what you could, but that water is fast acting. And once something is soaked through in a basement, it’s not the best idea to keep it around.

Because some of these materials will start to collect mold, dispose of them properly. You’ll need to rent a dumpster for any wet flooring or walls. Before signing on the dotted line, ask your dumpster rental company a few questions so you’re familiar with the process.

Call the Pros

Now, it’s time to start thinking about repairs and a remodel. You’ll need to call the pros for this. Start looking for licensed contractors to handle the renovation of your basement.

They will know what to do about the water damage and what steps to take to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

If it ever happens to you, now you know what you need to fix a flooded basement.