RAINWATER

If rainwater is the culprit for your basement water, you’ll probably realize it almost immediately. It’s definitely one of the more obvious sources. Check for cracks in your basement walls and foundation. You may also notice gaps around the windows. With enough of these openings, rain can collect on your basement floor.

LEAKING PIPES

Leaking pipes can also be fairly obvious. The water will come from a single source that you can notice almost right away. Pipes tend to crack and burst most often in the wintertime, so make sure that you keep your pipes insulated when the weather gets cold. If you keep appliances like a washing machine or a refrigerator in your basement, those can leak, too.

GROUNDWATER

Because floodwater is technically rainwater, we often think that it falls directly from the sky before it gets into our houses. However, that’s not usually the case. Water moves fast. The floodwater in your home may have traveled hundreds of miles before it got to your house. It probably went through sewers, chemical plants, and other dangerous places. This means that it picked up all sorts of toxins along the way.

AIR QUALITY

If the water came from a flood, you’ll want to watch out for poor air quality. Basement water creates a humid environment, which means that you’re breathing in the same water that got into your house. With floodwater, this means you’re also breathing in the chemicals and bacteria the water picked up before it entered your home.

STRUCTURAL DAMAGE

No matter where the water came from, it can cause structural damage. The amount of structural damage, of course, depends on the amount of water. It also depends on how long the water has been in the basement. Wood floors, beams, and other wooden surfaces can warp and rot under the weight of water. If structural damage gets bad enough, those structures can collapse and cause injury.

COSMETIC DAMAGE

When it comes to the basement, most homeowners don’t worry too much about cosmetic issues. However, if you’ve turned your basement into a playroom, TV room, or something similar, then cosmetic issues in the basement matter just as much as they do in the rest of the house. These issues can include stains on soft surfaces and peeling paint.

AVOID CONTAMINANTS

Depending on where the water came from, it may have bacteria and other contaminants in it. If the water came from a recent flood, for example, it probably contains toxic chemicals. If at all possible, stay away from the water entirely. If you have to go near the water, wear rubber boots.

TURN OFF THE POWER

The water may have touched an electric outlet or another source of power. Since water conducts electricity, this means that anybody who touches the water could get an electric shock. This is also a great reason to wear rubber boots if you must go near the water. To avoid injury, your safest bet is to turn off all the power to your basement altogether.

WATER REMOVAL

Step one is to remove the water. How we do that depends on how much water you have in the basement. For a small enough puddle, we can use our wet to dry vacuum system. For flooding, we use a sump pump. In either case, we only use top quality, state of the art equipment to get the job done. Better equipment means a more thorough job.

DRYING

After removing the bulk of the water, we’ll make sure that we dry every surface. Our drying process also gets the humidity out of the air so that you can breathe easy again. Just like our sump pumps and water vacuums, our fans and dehumidifiers are top quality.

DAMAGE RESTORATION

Finally, we’ll take care of all of the damage that we mentioned above. From the structural to the cosmetic, we have the tools and experience that we need to restore your basement completely.