What To Do If You Have Basement Flooding?

9/20/2021 (Permalink)

If you have a flooded basement, contact a professional team to avoid further damage in your Black Forest, CO, home.

Heavy rain, inadequate drainage, malfunctioning sump pumps, and other factors can lead to flooding in your basement. Basement floods can create an electrocution hazard and pose a serious threat to the structural integrity of your home. SERVPRO professionals have the equipment, experience, and skills needed to effectively remove the water and dry out your basement fast.

How To Handle a Basement Flood

Before a flood happens, it is a good idea to have an action plan in place. Your plan should focus on safety and drying your home out as quickly as possible.

Make Sure Your Basement Is Safe

The first thing you need to do when your basement is flooded is to take steps to ensure your safety. Begin by acting to reduce the risk of electrocution or damage to your home's electrical system:

• Shut off electricity and gas if your circuit breaker is not located in the basement
• If you can't reach your circuit breaker, call the power company to shut off your service
• Contact an electrician in Black Forest, CO, to assess the safety

If the basement flood was caused by an issue with your plumbing, shut off the water supply to your house. This will prevent the problem from becoming worse while you wait for repairs.

Remove Water and Wet Items

Once it is safe to enter your basement, you can begin removing wet items, such as upholstered furniture. It is important to begin removing the water as soon as possible because standing water can become unsanitary if not removed promptly. SERVPRO offers 24-hour emergency service year-round. When you contact a SERVPRO franchise, you can expect an immediate response any time of the day or night. With over 1,700 franchise locations, our highly trained water restoration specialists are Faster To Any Size Disaster.

Contact a Plumber

If the flooding was caused by a broken pipe, it is important to have pipe repair done to prevent reoccurrence. Do not turn the water supply to your home back on until a plumber has had a chance to assess the problem.

Contact Your Insurance Company

If your flood was caused by a sudden and accidental discharge of water, such as from a burst pipe, your homeowner's insurance may cover the damage. If it was caused by rising water from a source outside your home, the damage may not be covered, unless you have a separate flood policy. SERVPRO is the preferred vendor of many local and national insurance companies. Talk to your insurance professional about whether restoration services are covered by your policy.

Clean and Sanitize Your Basement

Once the water is gone, you can begin cleansing and sanitizing your basement. Do not attempt to use any water-damaged electronics and do not plug anything into any basement outlets, until you have had an electrician verify that they are safe to use. SERVPRO's certified technicians can help you clean and restore your property, including difficult to restore items, such as documents and other paper products.

Flooding can cause significant damage to your home and its contents. SERVPRO offers a variety of services that can help make it "Like it never even happened."