Need to clean up water in your basement?

“April showers bring May flowers.” April (or any time of the year)
showers also bring storms, flooded basements and mold if the basement is not cleaned up properly. That’s why it’s so important to go step-by-step to clean up water in your basement, and bring in professionals to assist with flooding clean-up. Cleaning up water in your basement is a methodical (and somewhat painful!) clean-up process that can be successful so you can reclaim your living or storage space—after a few calculated clean-up steps:

1. Don’t walk in the water! Contact your utility company BEFORE heading into the water. Ask them to turn the power off to your home so you are not electrocuted.

2. Pump the water out. If you don’t have the time to pump the water out, hire an experienced professional from Y’s Way Flooring that can rid your basement of standing water. Make sure a professional has given the all clear to turn the electric back on so you can plug in dehumidifiers and fans to dry out your basement.

3. Have the furnace cleared. Before you fire up the furnace, contact a professional HVAC technician to inspect your furnace to make sure it’s safe and functional.

4. Remove wet items from the basement. Throw away any items beyond repair, and move wet furniture to a dry place. Don’t assume that all items are unrecoverable; dry out items that are questionable to see if they can be cleaned and reused.

5. Make sure everything is completely dry. Don’t rush back into your basement until you are sure that the flooring and walls are completely clear of moisture, which can cause mold to grow. Exposure to mold can cause respiratory problems such as sneezing and eye irritation, and even long-term issues such as asthma and allergies.

6. Repair or clean drywall and insulation in your finished basement. If your basement is finished, your drywall and insulation needs to be sanitized or replaced. How much of the drywall and insulation needs cleaning or repair depends on how much water was in your basement and how high the water was. Contact the professionals to remove the drywall and wet insulation with masks (if needed) and repair the damage.

7. Replace the flooring (if needed). If your basement flooring is in dire need of replacing from water damage, use our guide to select the right flooring to go over your concrete slab. For any questions about floors suitable for basements, and what the professionals have seen work in other basement, contact or visit a Y’s Way Flooring or send a message on their Facebook page. Their experts can help you select the right flooring for your basement—hopefully flooring that won’t see a flood again anytime soon.

To prevent future basement flooding, determine what caused the water to come in your basement, and take necessary precautions such as installing a sub pump, grading or waterproofing. Contact a professional to assist so you won’t ever have to deal with water in your basement again—or all the repair, pumping and flooring replacement again.