In terms of coming home to unpleasant discoveries, a flooded basement would have to be near the top of the list.
Coming home to a flooded basement can cause you to start to freak out – but don’t! There may not be a huge cause for alarm.
• Prior to doing ANYTHING you absolutely MUST turn the power off in your house – both electricity and gas. If you’re unsure how to do this, please contact your local professional and have them come and assess the situation.
• Unless rainfall has caused the flooding, take action as soon as you see the flooding. If it was rainfall that caused this to happen, simply wait until the rain has stopped until commencing
• Ensure you wear gloves and boots for protection, regardless of where the water has come from. The use of chest and hip wader may also be useful. The flooded area will almost always act as a slipping hazard too, to ensure proper boots are also warned to prevent injury.
• Then, determine the source of the leak, and shut off exactly where that water supply is coming from.
• If your basement has a floor drain, check to make sure it didn’t become clogged during the flood. Keeping it open and functioning will help drain the water.
• Once the prior steps have been completed and assessed. Start draining the basement. depending on the severity of the flooding. Use either a sump pump or an absorbent mop and a bucket to either drain or dry the affected area.
After most of the water has been removed, use a sponge and towels to soak up the remaining water. don’t be afraid to ask for help. Many hands make light work.
• Be sure to also removed damaged and waterlogged items from a basement. However, refrain from touching electrical equipment. You must absolutely hire a professional to take care of this for you. You please contact us if this is the case.
• If you have carpet, be sure to pull it up and remove it. Soaked carpet in a flooding situation is ruined, so get rid of it. leaving a carpet on your floor can result in the mold which can start to smell terrible and also affect the structural integrity of your property in severe cases.
~ The Bayside Plumbing Melbourne Team