How To Get Your Basement Dried Out

Whether the downpours soak your carpet or leave you standing water several feet deep, avoid entering a flooded basement until you:

Shut off electricity or call the utility. (Do not rely on a power failure as power can come back suddenly.)

Check outside walls for structural damage.

Turn off gas to the house.

Wear protective gloves, boots.

It’s also a good idea to take pictures for insurance purposes. For starters, get rid of the water
If you have several feet of standing water, don’t remove it too quickly as the water may be bracing the walls against the pressure of waterlogged soils.

Quick removal could cause a cave-in. Rent a pump to remove large quantities or check to see if your fire department provides pumping. Shovel out the muck and hose down walls and floors to clear the silt.

If the water level is not high, use a mop or wet/dry vacuum to remove as much water as possible.

If your basement floor is carpeted, discard the carpet pad (it’s cheap to replace) and place the carpet on blocks, or something that won’t absorb moisture, to dry.

Set up a dehumidifier and fans. If the carpet isn’t completely dry within 48 hours of getting wet, discard it. Machine wash or dry clean area rugs.

Remove valuables

Haul out anything you have stored and discard as much as you can.

Prevent mold

Once water is removed, you have a 24- to 48-hour time window to clean, dry and sanitize the basement and furnishings before mold starts to grow. Mold destroys building materials and can trigger allergies and cause flu-like illnesses. Once it starts to grow, most items aren’t salvageable.

Remove visible dirt on hard surfaces with a soapy solution. Then decontaminate by scrubbing with a solution of one-half cup of chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Use hand-held garden sprayers on large surfaces. Wear gloves and goggles and do not mix bleach with other cleaning products. Keep area ventilated. Do not rinse — let it dry on the surface. Use the wet/dry vac to pick up excess.

Gut wet walls, because wallboard, paneling, insulation and other such building materials will not dry quickly enough to prevent mold and rot.

Toss anything that is not completely dry within 48 hours.

FEATURED WATER DAMAGE CONTRACTOR

Water Damage Contractor - Bay Restoration & Air Duct Services is located in the heart of Virginia’s Northern Neck and offers a full menu of services, ranging from structural drying and cleaning services to coordination of dry cleaning and small repairs. Our detailed, accurate computerized estimating software provides all the documentation necessary for efficient claims handling.