Cleaning A Flooded Basement - Our 3 Basic Steps
A flooded basement is the most common thing that happens in cases of water and flood damage. However, before we begin, we make sure that the water source of the flood has been identified and resolved. Then, to avoid further water damage, we start cleaning out your basement as quickly as possible.
Keep in mind that you should check to see if your basement is safe to enter before doing so. Electric shock, gas leaks, raw sewage, and structural damage are just a few of the dangers you can face. You can start cleaning up your basement once it’s safe to do so.
Flooded Basement Clean-up
The first step is to drain the water from your basement.
If you’re up to it, pumping the water out yourself to guarantee it’s gone as quickly as possible might be a good idea. The required equipment is inexpensive and convenient to have on hand.
But we highly recommend contacting a water damage restoration and clean-up company.
A wet/dry vacuum can typically be used to clean up flooded basements that are less than an inch deep and cover a small area. They work in the same way as a typical vacuum cleaner, drawing water into a tank that holds around five or six gallons of water.
If the flood was caused by an external water source (heavy rain or snowfall), you must wait until the flood water has receded away from your home. A submersible utility pump, often known as a sump pump, can be used to deal with moderate and big floods.
Monitor the Water Level In Flooded Basements
We start by pumping out one-third of the water in your flooded basement, or no more than two to three feet, depending on the severity of the flood. After that, we make a note of the water level on the wall and leave it overnight.
If the excess water level has risen by the time we return the next day, we’ll have to wait until the next day to remove the remaining water.
We continue pumping if the water level remains the same. Rep the process, this time pumping out a third of a foot or two to three feet. Carry on in this manner until the basement is completely To remove small pools of water that the sump pump can’t reach, a wet/dry vacuum may be required.
Cleaning And Sanitizing Flooded Basement
Step 2 is to clean and sanitize the flooded basements. The hard labour begins when the water has been removed from your basement. To prevent mold and mildew from forming, we start cleaning up the area as quickly as possible.
Safety First
A flooded basement can bring a lot of health and safety risks to your house. That’s why we, as a cleanup company, during our flooded basements clean-up process, wear protective clothing.
Remove Dirt and Mud
After we’ve adequately prepped for the clean-up, we begin with any filth and muck that the flood brought into the basement. While the debris is still moist, we shovel it out. Any filth that has adhered to the walls or furnishings can be hosed off.
In addition, we rinse everything multiple times to ensure that you have gotten everything. Remove the dirt before it dries and hardens, as it will be much more difficult to remove once that happens. To remove any water left behind from the cleaning, use a wet/dry vacuum.
Remove Damaged Items From Flooded Basement
Some of your belongings may be salvageable, but others will need to be discarded, especially if the flood involved raw sewage.
Sanitize and Disinfect
The last step is to clean the entire basement, including any recovered goods. When using bleach or other cleaning solutions, make sure there is plenty of air to ensure that any dangerous gases aren’t released.
Use a chlorine bleach solution of one cup of chlorine bleach per gallon of water to clean all surfaces. Surfaces not damaged by the flood can be cleaned with a solution of one part chlorine bleach to four parts cold or lukewarm water, combined with a tiny amount of non-ammonia dishwashing detergent. After cleaning, thoroughly rinse all surfaces.
Drain The Flooded Basement
Step 3 is to dry your flooded basement from standing water. To prevent mold from forming, make sure the basement’s walls, flooring, and any other things are absolutely dry.
To get as much air into the basement as possible, open all of the doors and windows. Industrial blowers are the finest, but if you’re on a budget, fans can suffice. Set your basement heater to the maximum level if it was not damaged by the water.
It’s a good idea to set up a dehumidifier after you’ve finished this operation to remove any lingering moisture. When running the dehumidifier, keep the windows closed and remember to empty the holding container on a regular basis. To remove as much moisture as possible, move the appliance around the room. If it is possible to implement a drainage system would be a great solution.
Time To Call The Professional Water Damage Restoration Services
Flood insurance companies have approved CPR24 Restoration Services as a provider. We work with all of Canada’s main homeowner insurance companies to make things easier for our customers. To better serve our customers, we handle all insurance company correspondence and, if necessary, charge your insurance directly.
We use the most cutting-edge technology to help speed up the water removal process while also reducing mold growth. By pinpointing the damaged regions, our equipment aids in speeding up the water restoration process. Dehumidifiers with high-velocity airflow are carefully deployed throughout the afflicted region.CPR24 Restoration Services provides great emergency assistance to our customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In the event of an emergency, call (416) 551-8287, email info@cpr24restoration.ca, or contact us online for a range of flood damage services.
