Coverage for when your basement floods
Mother Nature just unleashed her wrath on your home and now your basement is flooded. What’s worse, most insurance doesn’t include flood damage and yours is no different. How do you make sure water damage doesn’t reduce your home’s value? The right restoration team and a few initiatives on your part will ensure that you never have to sell your home for half its market value.
Use an air blower
If your house is flooded, chances are any electronic or wooden item hasn’t fared so well either. That blender and generator cost a lot. It would be a shame to let them go to waste. Fortunately, restoration equipment such as an industrial air blower will come in handy at times like these. Just be sure to dry off any equipment or furniture as soon as you can. You don’t want a mahogany cabinet to get moldy.
Disconnect power first
The faster you get your electronics out of their watery prison, the more likely you’ll be able to save them. Store electrical items before furniture and turn off power before doing so. If the flood leaves a fair amount of damage, there could be some downed live wires. You won’t be able to see them underwater. This should be your first priority, especially if the water rises up to the electrical outlets.
get rid of the water
This is obvious. You can’t use any restoration equipment if your basement is still flooded. The purpose of an air blower is to dry items after they have been salvaged. If there isn’t too much water to absorb, you can use some towels to get rid of it. Pour the water down the drain if your sewers are not already clogged. You can also use a wet/dry vacuum to do this. Be sure to plug in the restoration kit away from water.
Once you’ve cleaned up the excess water, use a dehumidifier to dry the area completely. This will prevent any unsightly mold from growing on your rugs or beams. Open the windows if it has stopped raining and ventilate the affected area. You want to get as much moisture as possible. The area will also dry faster that way.
You will probably have to cut out any dry walls that have been affected. Drywall may not be salvageable if it’s made of pressboard. However, wood drywall can be salvaged as long as you dry it out with the proper restoration equipment.
Do not throw away any damaged items. Instead, take them to the nearest recycling center where they can be put to good use. Fortunately, your air blower or dehumidifier will make sure you never have to throw out too many items. Do your home a favor and invest in restoration equipment. The real estate value of your home will be better for it.
