There are few things more horrifying to a homeowner than coming home to find a flooded basement. Since basements generally sit below ground level, they often tend to be the area of the house that can be the most susceptible to flooding. Water can take over quickly and cause serious damage even while a homeowner is out for the day.
If you discover that your basement is filled with any level of water, there are some important steps to quickly follow to prevent further damage to your home. After shutting off the gas or electricity that connects to the basement (if any), the very next step is to call an emergency plumber. While waiting for the emergency plumber, if the basement is safe to enter, it might be helpful to use a mop to begin soaking up some of the water. If the water levels far exceed that of a mop and bucket, a ShopVac vacuum is often extremely helpful to soak up larger volumes of water. The goal is to evacuate the water as fast as possible before too much damage is caused to walls, sheetrock, carpeting, or furniture. Avoiding mould growth is the second part of that equation, so using a large fan, dehumidifier, or opening any windows can also help prevent further damage down the road.
Once you call an emergency plumber like ours at Anytime Plumbing & Solutions, our professionals can begin to determine the cause of the flooding. Generally, the most common reason that a basement might flood would be from a burst or leaky pipe, although in some low-lying areas, a high level of rainfall in a short amount of time can also cause significant basement flooding. Other common causes could be overstuffed gutters, downspouts placed incorrectly or too close to the house, hilly landscape aimed downward toward the house, sewer backups, or improperly placed irrigation. An emergency plumber can then advise you on how to best address the cause to avoid future problems.