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What Should We Do If Our Basement Floods?

What should you do if your basement floods?

The following are recommendations from Roto-Rooter so that you stay safe while conducting flooded basement cleanup:

  • Shut off the electricity to the basement.
  • Make sure that you don’t have any broken or burst pipes. Turn off the water supply to the house if a pipe is causing the water problem. - If you have a sump pump, make sure that it’s working properly.
  • Protect yourself before dealing with the water as it could be unsanitary and contaminated with bacteria and other microorganisms. Wear gloves, boots and other protective gear.
  • Remove water from the basement as soon as possible. Call a professional such as Roto-Rooter to provide equipment and services for proper water removal, deodorizing and drying.

A flooded basement can happen at any time. The flooding can often be attributed to inadequate drainage around your basement walls, heavy storms, a faulty sump pump or appliance failure. Many basements have floor drains to keep the space from flooding with water and damaging the floor and walls. Dirt and debris often get caught in these drains, preventing water from draining out. Some homes also have sump pumps, which work to move water away from the house and into the nearest storm drain. If a sump pump fails and can’t move the water, you could experience flooding in your basement. After a basement flood, the most important thing to do is to remove the water immediately and dry out your basement completely. Roto-Rooter’s vehicles are fully equipped with state-of-the art water extraction, drying and moisture testing equipment to handle everything. Our professionals perform water extraction, remove unsalvageable contents, clean the affected areas, apply disinfecting agents, deodorize and dry the structure. Our team will also haul away water damaged debris.