Why You Should Immediately Clean a Flooded Basement

At Restoration Now!, our property restoration specialists realize that time is of the essence in cleaning up a flooded basement. During a water emergency time compounds the issue brought on by water damage more so than in many other types of disasters. By cleaning up your basement immediately after it floods, you’re protecting your home from further damage.

Remember, whether you have a finished basement or just use it for storage taking immediate action following a flood can be the determining factor if your items can be saved or restored to their original condition. If you contact us, our experienced property restoration specialists can help you clean up and repair the water damage while providing a better chance at saving your valuables.

Safety should be your primary concern

Not only is there risk of electrical shock, but contaminated water can cause some pretty nasty health issues. Sewer backups and floodwaters can contain hazardous microorganisms, viruses, fecal material, and bacteria which can and often do cause disease. Children are especially vulnerable, so never ever allow them to play in any area contaminated by flood waters.

Some guidelines to protect yourself should your basement flood

  • Avoid all skin contact with sewer water. This goes double if you have any sores or open wounds. If you do suffer a cut during flood restoration efforts, contact your physician.
  • Do NOT touch your face with any contaminated objects, water, or your hands. At Restoration Now!, we recommend for you to wash your hands immediately if you’ve made contact with any contaminated surfaces or objects.
  • Never drink or eat anything that has been exposed to sewer water.
  • Do NOT turn on anything electrical while standing in a flooded basement.

Some prevention tips to help reduce the possibility of a flood

  • Do NOT dispose of grass clippings, leaves or motor oils into the street sewers. Not only do they restrict sewers from flowing, they’re also a hazard to workers maintaining those sewers.
  • Do keep the catch basins on your street free of trash, paper, leaves and other debris.
  • At Restoration Now! we are huge believers of being proactive. Be sure to schedule annual inspections of your private drain system to ensure they are in good standing.
  • Disconnect downspouts and sump pumps from the sanitary sewer lines.

Tree roots are the main cause of sewer backups

Believe it or not, tree roots that have broken through the drain pipe are to blame. Once they’re in, they continue to grow inside the lateral, eventually completely blocking the drainage pipe, ultimately causing water damage.

What makes them do this? As warm water flows in your sewer pipes, it causes vapor to escape around the pipe to the soil (which is cooler) via cracks or loose joints. Tree roots migrate toward those vapors and, left undisturbed, will completely engulf and block the pipe.

These blockages look hair-like and are responsible for ensnaring oils, tissue paper, household fats and other debris flushed from the dwelling. In fact, tree roots can exert enough pressure to break drainage pipes and cause collapse.

How to reduce tree roots from forming

Be proactive in your approach to planting near sewer lines. At Restoration Now! we recommend homeowners to avoid planting certain varieties of trees and shrubs near sewer lines to minimize the possibility of root intrusion into the line. A safe distance to plant should be more than ten feet, but this depends on the aggression characteristics of their roots. Slow growing species are recommended.

What should do if your basement floods?

First, make sure you photograph as much as you can (safely) and contact your insurance company. Next, call Restoration Now! Omaha so we can quickly and efficiently remove any excess water, evaporate moisture that has seeped into your furniture and walls, dehumidify the air in your dwelling and assess any damage to your home’s structure.

Remember, our specialty is water damage restoration and particularly black water damage. There is no situation our Omaha Restoration Now! team can’t handle, so give us a call or contact us today to restore and dry your home or property ASAP. We would love to help.