If you’ve discovered that your basement has flooded, you need to take immediate action to prevent further damage and restore the space. Although quick action is essential, it’s imperative that you take those actions in a specific order to ensure your safety and minimize damage. We’ll dive into the top 3 steps you need to take when you’ve come home or awakened to a flooded basement.
IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF ALL ELECTRICITY, GAS, AND WATER
Floods can quickly cause dangerous damage to your home’s appliances and electrical systems, so it’s crucial that you turn off all of these utilities before taking additional steps like removing water or cleaning up any debris. Even if there are no obvious or visible signs of electrical wiring in the basement, be sure to shut down electricity at the fuse box or circuit breaker first; if not, call an electrician right away for help with this process. This is perhaps the most critical step of all, as it can be extremely hazardous. Even if you don’t see sparks flying or electricity arcing, your basement may be flooded with water that has a powerful and lethal electrical current running through it. If proper steps are not taken, you may be seriously injured by electricity or gas leaking as a result of the basement utilities and appliances malfunctioning.
REMOVE WATER
Next, after ensuring a safer environment, you’ll want to contact your insurance agency and document the damage with written text, photographs, and videos if possible, so you can prove just how damaged your home is. Once you’ve taken the time to do this, you’ll want to get the water out of your home if possible. If it’s not too much, you may be able to mop or remove some or most of the water with buckets. Unfortunately, your sump pump is likely broken and not working when a basement has more severe flooding. In this case, you’ll need to remove as much water as possible manually or with the help of a professional flood services team.
RECOVER WET OBJECTS
As your basement begins to dry out (either through your own doing or with the help of a professional), you’ll want to remove your most valuable, expensive, or personally significant items first. The faster you get these items, the less likely they will be permanently damaged. The longer you wait, the more damage can occur and the lower your chances of recovery become.
CALL LOCAL FORT COLLINS FLOOD SERVICES PROFESSIONALS
At Element Flooring and Design Center in Fort Collins, we know that flood damage to homes can be absolutely devastating, which is why we want to help you in any way possible. We offer a variety of services for flooded basements, including flooring repairs and subfloor repair. If water has seeped into your basement’s walls, our professionals are well-equipped with the tools and experience necessary to restore these areas so you can get back to your everyday lifestyle.
We hope this blog post was helpful in understanding what first steps should be taken when discovering a flooded basement. Please contact us immediately if you need flood services assistance at (970) 548-8533.
