With all the rain and snowfall we received this year, it is a safe bet that many of you will suffer from water entering your basements. This guide is to assist you in dealing with this stressful situation.
There are many dangers of incomplete or slow drying; two of the largest dangers are mold and biological loading (accumulation of large amounts of bacteria). If you have any doubt about being able to completely dry your water incursion rapidly I recommend that you call a professional restoration company. I cannot speak for all companies, but we offer free flood guidance in which we will come assess your situation and advise you how to remedy it. We will then determine a reasonable drying time and come back at that time to make sure it is dry. We offer this service at no charge.
Water enters basements in a variety of ways such as cracks in walls, between cement floors and footings, through cracks in the floor, etc. Sometimes only a little water seeps in, and sometimes over an extended time a great deal of water can seep in.
When dealing with a flooded area, your first thought should be of safety. Be aware that standing in water and on wet flooring greatly increases your risk of electrical shock and slipping. Do not use electrical equipment while standing on wet flooring, and be very careful when stepping onto smooth flooring with wet feet as slipping is likely.
After safety, limiting the affected items is most urgent. You should first remove items from the affected area that can be damaged from the water incursion. Furniture should have blocks placed under the legs to lift them off the wet flooring and above the level of the water. Always place plastic or aluminum foil between wet carpet and blocks (or the furniture if no blocks are used). This reduces the chance of wood stain bleeding onto the carpet from the furniture. Be sure that all magazines, paper, shoes, clothes, etc. are removed from the affected area. Water can free the dyes used in the previous mentioned items allowing them to bleed onto the wet floor.
Once all belongings in the area are removed or blocked you can start dealing with the water. It is best to mop or blot up the water as this does not expose you to electrical shock from using electrical equipment. A thorough job of removing the water is important since evaporation will take much longer than physically removing the water.
After you remove as much water as possible, ventilation will help to dry the area. Air movement on the wet material is necessary to cause rapid evaporation, which reduces the chance of mold growth and bacterial loading. The more air movement the better.
The next consideration deals with humidity and temperature. As the water evaporates from the wet material into the air, the air will become humid. This air needs to be exchanged for dry air. Often this can be done by opening windows and allowing a breeze to remove the moisture. You need to consider the outside temperature though since you need to keep the wet material warm enough to continue drying. This isn’t a problem when it is 75 degrees or warmer, but when it is cooler, like overnight, leaving windows closed is the better option.
If you have more than 100 square feet (10′ x 10′) of carpet affected, there is padding under the carpet, or if one or more walls are wet you should consult a professional restoration company. Large wet areas or carpet with padding holds more moisture, and walls are difficult to dry completely, so special equipment will be needed in these situations. Also if the outdoor temperatures remain below 70 degrees during the daytime you will need special equipment to dehumidify the air.
If you have dried your house completely you should not have any odors. Musty odors indicate moisture and usually mold growth. Any time you have musty moldy odors you should call a restoration company.
Flood Guidance, Water Damage Basement Flood