When there is a substantial amount of rain or snow melt your basement is likely to be at risk for flooding. When your basement is fully finished and experiences a flood it is as difficult to clean it up and return the space back to normal as it would be any other livable space within your home. Cleaning up an unfinished basement space after a flood is slightly easier.
In the article below are tips on how to clean up after a flood in an unfinished basement space. When furniture and flooring becomes an element within the space it is best to call in an emergency restoration team to provide optimal clean up to the space.
The first step in clearing out the water out of the space is to ensure the water has a proper spot to drain. This includes making sure that your sump pump is working and that if you don’t already have a sump pump in place now is the time to have one installed. This will be helpful in draining left over water out of your basement. If there is a drain in the space use a mop to more the water into the drain if you do not have a drain you will want to mop up the water and squeeze it into buckets to remove it from the space. The goal in the first step is the remove as much of the actual water in the area.
You will want to then start removing the humidification in the area. This is done using a dehumidifier and many fans to circulate the air and dry out the basement. This will take time and is not a process that can be rushed to complete. Give this process time. It is important that no area within the space is left moist. Given the chance mold and mildew will move in and thrive in your damp wet space if it is allowed to stay that way.
The goal in this step is to quickly dry out the space thoroughly without forgetting that even when the space appears dry to the human eye fans and dehumidifiers should still be run for some time to prevent the possibilities of mold and mildew growth.
Mold removal is a job only professional emergency remediation professionals will be able to take care of without spreading the mold. Mold can spread quickly to areas that are conducive to holding moisture. This means that the mold could spread throughout the home via duct work so it is ever more important that this step is done with care and complete attention to all areas within the space.
Make sure that you take special care in the removal of belongings destroyed within the space. This is a difficult process and takes a lot of care. In a basement that is used for storage it is best to use platforms to store items of value so that is a flood does occur your possessions are not ruined. This of course does not help you if the situation happens and your items are ruined. It is clear that the best option is to remove the items from this space. Throw items out that cannot be salvaged and items that need more proper cleaning to be restored should be done in a dry environment.
Any item no matter how near or dear to your heart should be discarded if it cannot be properly sanitized. Items such as books, cards and paper products are examples of items that should be thrown away. If you can bleach items and properly sanitize them then dry them out will be safe to use later.
You will want to bleach the floors and walls. One cup of bleach to five gallons of water is a fair mixture to destroy clingy bacteria. After this process is done, while wearing protective gear and proper ventilation you will want to dry out the area once again using the fans and dehumidifier.
You are completely finished with your basement clean up, after a flood, once you are able to stand in the space and feel dry. The environment should be free of moisture and dampness. If you are unable to achieve this on your own it is in your best interest to call in flood damage restoration specialist to evaluate the scene.