Learn what to do when water damage happens
Basements are the most prone area for water damage, due to its location at the lowest level of the house.
Basement Water damage can often go unnoticed. In this case, water damage has no prevention or immediate repair.
Common causes of water damage are poor drainage, clogged drainage, ice build-up, faulty plumbing, wall foundation cracks.
Basement water damage repair is important to the house vitality and to the health of household members.
Dealing with a water damage repair involves water removal, basement and accessories complete drying, and fixing the water damage.
There could be many factors involved in an effort to repair a water damaged basement, some of these are water levels and the level and the coverage area of the damage.
The water damage repair specialist must first identify the cause
The cause of the basement water damage must be identified and fixed.
It is a must to stop the damage as early as possible and to prevent further water build up which would only increase the water damage.
If burst pipes are responsible, the water main valve should be closed. If the damage is caused by heavy rains or typhoon, waiting is the only option until the rains or typhoon cease.
A proper basement water damage repair can only start with the removal of water.
The accumulated water in the basement must be pumped out as fast as possible.
The water damage professional will use a pump to remove water from your property as soon as possible. The water damage cleanup service professional will ensure the pump’s motor can efficiently draw the water out from the basement. The drawn-out water must be directed away from the house to prevent seepage into the basement.
What to do next
After drawing out water, everything must be removed from the basement and then the basement must be dried out.
All toys must be completely dried and disinfected to kill all germs.
Basement carpets must be discarded, carpet and the carpet padding are vulnerable to water damage.
These can shelter bacteria, mildew, and molds upon drying. The walls and the flooring of the basement must be washed with a disinfectant solution to kill all the germs. Thorough rinsing with water should be followed after disinfection.
Complete drying must be done to achieve full water damage recovery.
This can be accomplished by using fans, particularly industrial ones. It should be noted that the fans will point toward an exit, so the moist air blow outside the basement.
This will help to drive out moist air from the basement. It usually takes a few days, mostly two days, for the basement to be completely and thoroughly dried.
Completion and air quality
Clearing the air will be the completion of the water damage repair. After finishing the repair, it might impossible to determine if the air quality has been affected by the damage. Even a small quantity of moisture in a remote area in the basement can have a negative impact in the air. This is unwanted as it can cause health problems.
The mold spores can bring about allergy, asthma, and headache to household members.
The air quality situation can be resolved by hiring a professional to perform an air quality analysis. This is necessary to be able to determine if the air is safe for breathing. Through the lab report, the professional will give the recommendation on what to do to make the air safe for breathing.
Proper ventilation is necessary to avoid the unnecessary smell. It is advisable to apply odorless, water-based, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial waterproofing paint on the basement walls and flooring.
If the basement water damage repair is completed, new basement flooring can be set. Everything that was not permanently-damaged can be brought again to the basement.