What to Do About Water in Your Basement

Homeowners often find more water in their basements in winter due to melting snow and ice, or freezing pipes leaking. And while there’s plenty you can do to prevent such occurrences, sometimes things go wrong no matter how well you’ve prepared.  Are you in the middle of such a watery mess?  Then here are some tips to help you through the clean-up and repair process:

Safety First: If you can’t go into the basement without standing in water, be sure the power is turned off before you start to investigate. In fact, only when you’re sure no live wires are touching the water should you attempt to explore and clean up the mess.

Know the source: Knowing the source of the leak is important so you’ll have a better idea of who to call for assistance. If the water is coming from an overflowed washing machine, leaking water heater, or broken pipe, the problem is inside the house. If water is coming in through a window or walls, most likely the problem originated outdoors.

Remove water: Getting the water out as soon as possible is key to minimizing the damage. If, for example, you’re staring at a manageable amount of water, chances are you can remove itself with a wet/dry vacuum or mop.  If, on the other hand, you’re faced with inches of water, you need to call a professional service company.  While you wait, get your valuable belongings out of the water and relocate other items not yet soaked but still possibly in harm’s way. The sooner they start drying out, the likely they can grow mold.

Dry out the area:  If you have any kind of carpeting in your basement, especially wall-to-wall with an under-pad, you need to start drying the carpeting as soon as possible.  This is best accomplished with the large dehumidifiers the professionals use. The same goes for upholstered furniture.

Disinfect the area:  After the area has dried out, including wood beams, insulation, drywall, etc., use a good disinfectant to get rid of any bacteria that might have risen up through your sewer lines. You also should disinfect any furniture that sat in the flood waters.

Whether you’re reacting to an existing problem or wondering what to do in case of one, you can’t go wrong by having a sump pump installed in your basement.  Here at Your 1 Plumber, we’ll recommend the best place to install one and show you how to test your pump before a storm to be sure it’s working. Plus, we provide ongoing sump pump maintenance and high quality repair work should the need arise.  Contact us today for more information, immediate service, or a free quote.