Flooded basement leads to bad odor and unhealthy environment. This may give rise to serious health issues of members of the house. Flood water could be highly contaminated with disease/bacteria from raw sewage and other pollutants.
Before you engage yourself in the task of flooded basement cleanup, you should keep certain things in mind. Before you enter into the basement, ensure that the connections of electricity and gas are turned off or disconnected. Generally, the environment of the basement tends to be suffocating. So, you must allow fresh air to travel entirely in the basement. Your mission of flooded basement cleanup will be safe and secure. If your basement is flooded due to floor and walls leakage, then ensure that proper preventive measures are undertaken before you start flooded basement cleanup.
One of the first steps for flooded basement cleanup is to pump out the stagnant water. For this purpose you can use a gas pump or any other existing pump, which is already connected to outside electric line. However, you must ensure that water is not pumped out rapidly. This is because the wall of the basement might experience major push up. This will result to some severe damage of the structure. Pumping water at a slow speed might take long time. But the structural safety of the basement is ensured.
Cleaning up is a messy and unpleasant job. Here are some tips on how to protect yourself while getting rid of the mess:
Wear protective clothing - overalls, gloves, protective eyeglasses, rubber boots and a face mask.
Stay clear of electrical equipment. Do not attempt to change any fuses if you are standing in water or on damp ground.
If you can, shut off the electrical power.
If weather permits, open basement windows to allow fresh air in. In addition to speeding the drying process this helps to prevent odours.
Remove items of value that are in, or near, the source of water.
Roll back or remove rugs close to the source of water.
Use old rags or wet/dry vacuums to eliminate excess water.
Fans and/or dehumidifiers can reduce dampness and speed drying.
Minor debris can be left out for regular garbage pick-up.
Scrub affected furniture with antibacterial soap and water and place outside to dry (weather permitting), or steam clean.
Clean and deodorize carpets or have them professionally cleaned.
Disinfect the walls and the floor using a chlorine bleach and water solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water). Wait for the area to dry completely before re-using it.
Throw out canned goods and other foods that may have been affected by flood waters. If your freezer has lost power, move frozen food to a neighbour's freezer, or throw it out if you cannot keep it frozen.
If the source of the problem is a leaking water meter turn off the valve in front of the meter. Place rags or pails beneath the meter to catch the drips or if the valve is spraying water, wrap towels around the leaking valve.
Once you have evacuated your basement from water, the actual process of flooded basement cleanup starts. Here also you need to take some preventive measures. Wearing few protective gears like long boots and gloves ensures your safety from germs and dirt. For picking out wet garbage and other contaminated waste, use of shovel is highly recommended. While picking up garbage, you must also check for mud and debris over the floor. Cleaning the walls of the basement is an important part of flooded basement cleanup.
After the clean up process, it is extremely important to dry up the basement as quickly as possible. With the help of dehumidifier or heating system this job could be done easily. If you think that you can't handle it properly, then flooded basement cleanup service providers will help you. You can find them in yellow pages or over Internet. These companies are professionals who use latest technology combined with right equipment. If you want to make your search narrow then you can look for local or regional agency.
More of safe assistance on the job contact Auckland Carpet Steam 'N Dry main page for help
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