My Basement Flooded; What Now?

6/7/2021 (Permalink)

When you discover your basement flooded, you can be left wondering what in the world you need to do now! Such an event can create so many problems since basements are so often the place where important items are stored. Books, photo items, and textiles can end up completely ruined if they are soaked - but keep in mind that a professional restoration company like our team here at SERVPRO of North Nashville will have the training, equipment, and products needed to recover many of these kinds of items.

If you are asking yourself “What now?”, we have some answers! 

TAKE ACTION

Act fast if you find that your basement is being flooded, and make sure you put safety first. Call your power company, electrician, and/or your professional water damage cleanup team immediately so that the appropriate steps can be taken to manage the dangerous combination of water and electricity in this situation. These professionals have the tools and training to handle it all safely. They will be able to determine the steps you can take in beginning your cleanup process without increasing the risk of fire damage from any dangerous scenarios, such as exposed wires, and more.

SOME CLEANUP TIPS. 

A shop-vac can clean up smaller amounts of standing water while using a dehumidifier or fans will circulate needed air. Circulated air discourages mold growth and mildew, and that’s something you definitely want to avoid! Your air conditioning can be a big help here, too, so it should stay running throughout the building as long as that can be done safely. You will want to get a professional opinion before using window air conditioning units. 

STOP MOLD AND MILDEW. 

To discourage mold and mildew from establishing colonies on damp surfaces, scrub them with a solution of one cup bleach to one gallon of water while wearing gloves and protective eyewear. Make sure you keep the space you are in well ventilated while you are doing tasks that involve cleaning solutions.

PERSONAL ITEMS. 

You can actually save valuable documents and papers by placing them in the freezer if they have been soaked. This may stop the growth of mildew or deterioration; if the worst happens, remember that SERVPRO is fully equipped to recover documents that have been affected by a disaster.  Storing important items in your basement may be unavoidable, so using air- and water-tight plastic bins to protect your items against a flooding event will help you in the future to protect your valuables from a basement flood. 

Here at SERVPRO of North Nashville, we are always prepared to help whenever you are dealing with water damage and fire damage, and we are mold remediation specialists, too. We handle large cleanup projects for commercial business owners and smaller projects for area homeowners, and we can get your premises Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned! This franchise is independently owned and operated.