By the time your basement is filled with water, the only thing left to do is call a professional and hope for the best. Prevention is by far the best way of protecting your belongings. If you have a basement full of things you’d like to keep dry, or perhaps even remodeled to live in, here are a few tips to keeping it safe.
Install a sump pump
A sump pump works by pumping water away from the home, keeping your basement dry even when conditions aren’t favorable. A sump pump isn’t a guarantee however, if the sump pump is overwhelmed by flooding, or if the electricity is cut off to the pump, the basement will flood. An inadequate sump pump can lead to sewage backups which must be removed before major flooding occurs. A good sump pump is the difference between a dry basement, and a basement that will likely need of professional water damage restoration servicing in the future.
When your sump pump is installed, it should be installed in the lowest corner of your basement, so that water doesn’t collect out of the sump pumps reach. A correctly installed sump pump can be a big help in many situations.
Check your gutter spouts
You may tend very carefully to your gutters, keeping them clean of debris so they do their job and prevent water damage to other parts of your home. One place you may not think about however, is to check that the down spout is far enough away from the edges of the house, that the water from your roof gets carried away, and not funneled into your basement.
Slope your lawn away from your home
If you’re planning to landscape your home, make sure any hills you create for asthetics slope away from your house. Any kind of slope heading toward your home will encourage water flow from rain and flooding to head back to your home, and into your basement.
Keep an eye on the rest of your plumbing
Flooding and heavy rainfall aren’t the only ways water can get into your basement. A burst pipe can also unexpectedly fill your basement with water. Inspect your pipes regularly to make sure there are no leaks, cracks, rusting, or other signs of damage to your house.
The best way to avoid water damage is through prevention. If your basement is already filled with water however, the next best thing you can do is call a water restoration specialist. Flood water and waste water won’t just cause stains and smells, they can also be filled with dangerous bacteria that needs to be cleaned out.
Even clean water can be damaging if some of the moisture is left undetected. Even if you think you’ve cleaned it all up, lingering water in the drywall or other locations can encourage the growth of mold.