You never want to see water in your home, and you certainly don’t want to deal with flooding, but the reality is that it’s more common than you may think, and it can also cause a lot of money’s worth of damage. According to The National Flood Insurance program, the average price of flood repairs to a 1,000 square foot home with three inches of floodwater would be a rather shocking $11,450. If you double the square footage of the home, then you can do the same to the cost of the repairs.
Ideally you want to do everything you can to prevent a flood from happening in the first place, but unfortunately it’s not always within your control. So what do you do if your basement has been flooded? How can you dry it so that repairs can begin? Let’s take a look.
Find the Source of the Flooding
First things first, if possible you’re going to want to find the source of the flooding and stop it. Obviously if the flooding is due to a storm surge or weather-related flooding, there isn’t much you can do until the water recedes.
Now if the flooding isn’t due to weather-related conditions and you can’t find the source, it’s probably best to call in a professional plumber as The Plumbing Info site suggests. You cannot even begin to think about drying up the basement and starting repairs until the water stops coming in.
Tear Out the Carpet
If your basement is carpeted, you will need to pull it out and throw it out. Unfortunately there is no way to salvage carpeting from a flood as it will quickly start to develop mold, which is hazardous to your health. By tearing up the carpet you will also expose the underfloor, or concrete, allowing it to dry better.
Ventilate the Basement
In order to prevent mold from growing throughout the basement you want to ensure it is as well ventilated as possible. This means opening up windows and placing fans around the area to help dry things up. If possible you also want to allow sunlight in the basement, as it is a natural enemy of mold.
Cut Out Damaged Drywall
Depending on how high the floodwater went, you may also need to cut drywall out. Any areas that were saturated will need to go. Again it’s to help prevent mold from growing.
Use a Bleach Solution
Once you are able to fully dry out the basement, which can take many days, even a week more, you will want to take proactive measures to ensure mold doesn’t grow. This means using a bleach product that you can spray on the walls and floor. After that you can do a mold test to ensure that the area is safe.
Take the Time Needed to Do the Job Right
Drying out a basement after a flood is something that takes quite a few steps and a whole lot of time. It’s important not to take shortcuts though, as you don’t want to take the chance of mold developing.