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What to Do When Your Basement Floods

by Ashley Schnitker | May 23, 2022 | Water Damage Remediation

What to Do When Your Basement Floods

Basements can flood for several reasons: faulty plumbing, excessive rainfall, or melting snow. If your basement floods, it’s crucial to act right away to minimize the damage. Here are some steps to follow when your basement floods:

Turn Off the Water Supply If You Have a Leak

If a burst pipe causes floods your basement, turning off the water supply right away is essential. This will stop the flow of water and prevent further damage.

Call a plumber or your local utility company for help if you can’t find the main shut-off valve.

Of course, if excessive rainfall causes the flood, there’s not too much you can do to stop the water from coming in. If you can, block the source of the water, such as a sandbag or towel under a door where water might be coming in the most.

In any case, immediately focus on minimizing the water damage to avoid bigger problems.

Immediately Remove Any Furniture or Belongings that Water Will Damage

Water can damage many different materials, so it’s important to remove any furniture or belongings that may be damaged. This includes wood furniture, electronics, and anything else ruined by water.

If you can’t move the furniture yourself, call a professional for help.

Even if the furniture is not damaged, it’s important to remove it from the area so that it doesn’t get in the way of the cleanup process.

Call a Plumber to Fix the Source of the Flooding

If a burst pipe causes the flood, you’ll need to call a plumber to correct the problem. This is usually a relatively straightforward process, but it’s essential to have a professional do it so that the problem doesn’t continue.

A plumber can not only fix the problem but can also identify the source so that flooding doesn’t happen again. Do it yourselfers might think they can fix the pipe themselves.

But unless you’re a professional plumber, you might just be creating a potential problem by repairing a pipe incorrectly. You’d be surprised how often we’ve been called to repair a pipe fix done incorrectly. Tell your DIY spouse to read those last two sentences out loud.