You cannot anticipate a flood, especially the ones that are caused due to water damage. Most of the area of your house can be flooded due to a number of reasons. But your basement is the most vulnerable area of your house for floods. Whatever be the reason of the flood, your basement gets the maximum amount of water.
You should therefore keep basement restoration tips handy to save your basement from the damage of floods. Basement flooding can be caused due to pipe bursts, leakage in washing machine or water heaters and sewage backup. Whatever is the cause of flood, the floors, walls and the materials present in the basement can get damaged.
Standing water is a common problem during floods. It is very important to remove standing water as soon as possible. If the standing water is not removed within 24 hours, it can act as a breeding ground for mold and mildew. You can hire basement restoration expert who will help you with the flood cleanup.
Basement Restoration Process Followed by Experts
The experts use these basic basement restoration tips that help you to get out of such situation.
- The first thing you need to do is, find the actual source of the flood. This will help you stop the source of water and will prevent further flooding. The professionals are quick at finding the source. Once they fix the source, they will plan out the method of basement restoration. They also take enough precautions if the flood water contains biohazard materials and sewage.
- The experts then find the overall damage and send it to the insurance company. The coverage of insurance depends of different criteria. The coverage also varies from one provider to the other. Once the experts send the report, it helps the insurance companies to calculate the coverage.
- After all these, they finally begin with their basement restoration process.
- The first thing they do is extract the excess water from the basement. The experts have high power equipment which help them extract a large amount of water at a time. Once they remove the standing water with the help of the equipment, they use dehumidifiers to take out the remaining moisture from the basement. They also help removing moisture from the various materials that has been affected by the flood. These materials include furnishings, flooring, walls and other materials. Finally, they repair the damage done to these materials due to the standing water.
- The carpets in the basement are their next target. Carpets absorb water very easily because of their porous nature. The wet carpets always stand a chance of mold growth. The basement restoration experts evaluate the severity of the damage done to the carpet. They restore the parts that can be saved and replace the rest.
- Next the basement restoration experts restore and replace the baseboards, insulation and Sheetrock. Baseboards and Sheetrock are known to absorb water which can affect the insulation.
- The restoration experts have lot of work after removing the standing water. Cleaning the area and then putting disinfectant is a major job taken up by them. Flood water contains lots of harmful bacteria. Unless the water is cleaned completely, it can act as a breeding ground for molds. If the area is not cleaned, it can cause various health issues. After removing water, the experts apply cleaning agents and sanitizers to disinfect the contaminated area.
- The next step is to dry out the area. The experts carry high power drying equipment. They also use deodorizers to remove the musty smell from the affected area.
- The top basement restoration experts also keep a close check on mold growth. If they find any sign of mold growth, they start working for its restoration.
- After finishing the basement restoration, work they will look for any kind of structural damage to inform the insurance provider regarding reconstruction plans.