What To Know About Basement Flooding

7/30/2021 (Permalink)

What to do if your basement floods?

No Charlotte, NC homeowner ever wants to see their property inches deep in water. It is important to deal with the flooding as soon as you notice it because the damage can affect your whole home and possibly the safety of your family members.

What To Do When Your Basement Floods?

Follow these steps:

1. Turn off electricity and gas to the area. If you do not know how to shut it off, or cannot reach the access point safely, call an electrician as soon as possible.
2. Scout out the source of the water. Consider the two most common reasons why first - excessive rainfall or a burst pipe.
3. We highly recommend that you do not enter the water in case the power is not turned off properly or the water is contaminated, so ONLY proceed if you are certain of these things.
1. If safe to proceed, enter the water wearing protective gear - boots, gloves and a mask. Safely make your way to a drain if your basement has one. Check if it is clogged.
4. Allow SERVPRO of South Mecklenburg County to come and clean up the water. The job is definitely easier said than done - even just an inch of water can be difficult to remove without the proper equipment, but our experienced team has all the necessary tools to clean up the basement. The water extraction may be done with just towels, a mop or a wet vacuum, if only a small area was affected. In more serious circumstances, a sump pump will work better. 
5. Next, we will evaluate the damage. Without our help, items may end up drying with water stains, and slow dry times may lead to mold. Therefore, we will take care of your drying needs with professional equipment that dries items faster, increasing the chance of saving furniture and other belongings. Also, we will sanitize the items that came in contact with contaminated water.
6. It is essential to keep air moving during the drying process. You can count on us to use professional equipment that can fully dry the area far better than at-home options can. 

How To Prevent Your Basement From Flooding

After assessing the damage and determining the cause of the flood, you will be more prepared to prevent such an occurrence from happening again. There are some measures that you can take to prevent flooding before it even occurs.

• Keep your rain gutters clean. Point downspouts away from the foundation of your home
• Check around your yard to see where water is pooling and being directed to during the next heavy storm. If the water is heading towards the foundation of your home, contact an expert to grade your yard so that it can handle the water volume during a storm.
• If you have a window(s) in your basement, make sure each one is protected with a window well cover.
• Get a sump pump! An automatic sump pump is set to trigger on when it can sense that there is water entering your basement even when you are not there. We recommend that families living in flood-prone areas should have a back-up sump pump and look into getting flood insurance.

It is better to be safe than sorry - we advise that you contact a professional at SERVPRO of South Mecklenburg County when your basement floods. If your basement is holding water that is even an inch deep, mildew is beginning to grow, or items are potentially ruined, call (704)-840-6112. 

We are committed to making your basement look "Like it never even happened."

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