What You Should Do If Your Basement Floods
You just got home from an exhausting vacation and something doesn’t seem right. You hear dripping water sounds and follow it to your basement to discover the floor covered with water. Your basement has flooded! Your heart is racing wondering what you should do first.
It is especially difficult to waterproof a basement as water issues are not easily manageable or localized. Water line issues or foundation problems can lead to a full-scale flood in the basement. This will cause damage to your home and ruin your personal property. Whether or not you have experienced water damage in Utah, you should know what to do if your basement does get flooded.
Follow These Steps if Your Basement Floods:
- Do not enter areas with standing water if your basement has electrical lines.
- Immediately call a flood recovery company like Anchor Restoration or a certified electrician to ensure the safety of you and your family.
- Consider possible biological hazards. You will need suitable safety gear to enter the area if the water originated from a backed-up sewer line. Keep bacteria off of your skin by wearing rubber gloves and wash yourself completely the moment you leave the basement.
- Identify the flooding source. If it is a water line issue like a pipe that burst, find your home’s water line and shut it off right away. If needed, contact your city’s water department to find the precise location of the shutoff valve. If rainwater is the source of the flooding, work to keep the water in a single area by using a shop-vac, buckets or other tools. Be sure to keep any electrical cords away from the water, though. If you’re unsure, wait for a professional to arrive and help before you run an electric tool near the flood area.
- Take pictures of the flooded area and then give your insurance company a call to learn how you can submit a claim. Several homeowners insurance policies have flood coverage, yet the terms of the coverage may vary. Often the coverage depends upon the flooding source. For more information, check your policy documents.
- The standing water must be removed. It is best if this is done by a professional water damage clean up service like Anchor Water Damage & Restoration. Drywall and baseboards are the most difficult to dry out without the proper equipment. Carpet must be dried out and cleaned correctly, without products that may leave residue that attracts mold spores. If your carpet smells musty after it dries out, you may need to replace it. Call a professional service like Anchor Carpet Cleaners to treat your rugs and carpets right away.
- If your basement floods often, you need to have a professional come in and find the source and help correct it.
- Don’t wait for your basement to flood before preparing your emergency response plan. Choose a trusted and experienced Emergency Flood Service in SLC now and ensure each family member knows who to call if and when there is a flood in your home.
