3 Things You Can Do While Waiting for a Water Damage Restoration Service After Your Finished Basement Floods
After severe weather passed through your area dumping large amounts of rain, you may have discovered that your basement was flooded because of the deluge of water. After getting rid of the excess water, the enormous task of cleaning up the area and restoring its structures and any of your possessions still down in the basement will begin.
Because of the work involved, you may have already decided to contact a professional service to handle the cleanup and restoration for you. While you wait, however, there are a few things that you can do to help reduce the further impact of the water damage to your home and property.
1. Make Sure the Power to the Outlets in the Basement Is Turned Off
One of the first things that you should do after your basement floods is to make sure that none of the outlets in the basement have power to them. Even if the standing water is removed, the moisture inside of the walls could cause shorts in the wiring, and if used, could lead to a fire when the electricity arcs.
To be on the safe side, find the main breaker switch for the basement, and shut it off until the restoration service arrives. If you need to use fans to air out the area, use extension cords plugged into outlets on the levels above where the flood occurred.
2. Remove or Protect the Bottoms of Furniture Still in the Room
Another thing that you can do is to help protect any furniture that is still in the basement by getting it out of there. However, if you are unable to remove the pieces of furniture, action should be taken to protect any bottom surface areas that are still in contact with water.
To do this, place either a plastic bag or aluminum foil between the legs or bottoms of the furniture pieces after wiping off any excess water. Then, create craters around them with the bags or foil to ensure that no water runs over them.
3. Watch for Signs of Mold and Apply an Inhibitor If Possible
Another thing that you can do while waiting for a professional service is to keep an eye out for signs of mold growth. Because of the extreme moisture and dark areas in your basement, spores will likely start growing quickly. You may even start to notice the signs of mold growing within a couple of days after the flooding occurred.
Even if you do not notice the signs of mold growth, this does not mean that it is not there. While the service will have professional-grade solutions and techniques for getting the mold out of structures, you may be able to at least slow down and inhibit the growth until they arrive.
If any of the surfaces are colorfast, and you know will withstand bleach, spray them every day with a mixture of bleach and water. If the surfaces are not colorfast, or you are not certain, use hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach. However, while these methods can kill surface mold, do not depend on them to get rid of your mold problem entirely. You will still want a service to help with the restoration of any water damage, including the mold.
While the restoration of your water-damaged basement is better left to the professionals, you can still take some actions while you wait for their arrival to help prevent further damage to your home. If you have not yet contacted a service or need information on what you should do in the meantime, speak with services like Parkside Restoration to learn more.
