Quick! If Your Basement Floods, You Need to Act Fast

If you’ve recently had a basement flood, you’re probably already in over your head. (Hopefully not literally.) Besides looking for future basement waterproofing, it’s a safe bet that you’re looking for the best way to get your wet basement dry as quickly as possible. Here’s what you gotta do:

Pump the water – Get to your local home improvement store and ask about what kind of pump you need to get all that water out of your basement. Drainage problems may require special professional assistance, depending on the nature of your basement flood. If it’s from storm damage, there may be hydraulic water buildup under your basement floor, in which case they may need to drill holes to relieve the buildup pressure.

Air it all out – Once you get all the water out of there, set up some fans and get everything dry. Setting up one of these fans so that it points out the window will help draw air through the room, and help to draw moisture out. Throw away any wet paper or other porous materials, since they raise your chances of attracting mold. According to the EPA, it’s essential to dry everything within 24-48 hours to prevent serious mold. You definitely don’t need any more problems.

Get smart – After everything is all said and done, take inventory of the ways you can prepare for the next basement flood. (Ideally, you won’t have one, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.) Removing any unnecessary clutter from your spaces, as well as looking into proper floor sealing and window treatments, are all good things you can do to make sure that you’ll be ready in case disaster strikes twice. Because let’s face it, a basement flood can happen to anyone. It’s up to you to make sure that you do everything you can to ensure it doesn’t ruin your home, or your stuff.