Spring showers bring beautiful flowers – and basement flooding.

When you combine the thawing of the ground and those spring rains, water can easily find its way into your basement. For many property owners, spring’s arrival often shows all of the unfortunate flaws in the foundation of your home or the grading of your land.

Coming home to a flooded basement is a nightmare for any homeowner, and this is the time of year for it. If you find yourself in this worst-case scenario, here is some step-by-step advice to get through it and prevent it from happening again.

First, it’s time to cleanup and remove the water. This may seem like a no-brainer, but when you are standing in inches (or more) of water, you may have no idea how to do it. You can grab some buckets and mops or use a Shop-Vac to remove the water, but this will certainly take time. Another option is to call a professional – like us – who can help.

Next, dry the area that has been flooded. Open any doors and windows that you have available to you, and get some fans going to increase the air circulation. It is important to provide as much air circulation and ventilation as possible to prevent the growth of dangerous mold.

Once the water has been removed and while things are drying out, look around and assess the damage. What has taken on too much water and cannot be saved? Look at items that are particularly porous like cardboard boxes and possibly the contents within them, deep pile carpets that might be just too saturated to dry properly, and wooden furniture or fixtures (baseboards, railings). If your basement is used as a child’s playroom, think about puzzles, books, and stuffed animals (which, for the sake of junior, can hopefully be tossed into a washing machine and dryer).

Anything that cannot be dried thoroughly should be discarded – including dry wall. Saturated dry wall should be cut, removed, and then replaced as it is a breeding ground for mold. While that may seem like a major project, it is worth the time, mess, and expense because the alternative – mold – can not only cause more damage in the long run but it is also a hazard to the health of you and your family.

Once your basement is dry and clear, it is time to clean all surfaces that had been exposed to water. If mold has started to grow in an area that is manageable to clean, a simple solution of nine parts water and one part bleach can kill any spores and prevent it from spreading.

Now that you have fixed your immediate problem of a flooded basement, it is time to figure out long-term solutions to prevent a flood from happening again. There are numerous causes for basement floods: foundation cracks, sump pump failure, sewer line backup, and more. Companies like ours specialize in basement waterproofing. We will help you find the solution to your basement water issues, fix the problem, and leave you with both peace of mind and our dry basement guarantee.

So if those April showers actually bring basement flooding, contact us for a free inspection and estimate.