Category Archives: basement flooding

Jun '23

Wet Basement Solutions: 7 Ways to Stop Leaks

A wet basement can be a significant issue for any homeowner. Unfortunately, it’s a common problem, especially in homes that have subterranean basements. The dampness and moisture in the air can cause severe damage to your property and can be a breeding ground for mold and mildew. If you’re dealing with a wet basement, you’ll be pleased to know there are several things you can do to stop the leaks.

1. Install French Drains

One of the best ways to prevent basement leaks is to have a French drain installed on your property. These are trenches dug around the foundation of the house, which are filled with gravel. The water then flows into the gravel and is carried away from the house. Installing a French drain system can be a significant undertaking, and it’s best to hire professionals to do the job.

2. Check and Repair Cracks

Cracks in your foundation walls are another cause of basement leaks. You should inspect your foundation walls regularly to ensure there are no cracks or holes that could allow water to penetrate. If you find any cracks, it’s essential to repair them as soon as possible. You can use hydraulic cement, which expands as it dries, to fill in cracks and prevent water from seeping in.

3. Use Waterproofing Paint

Waterproofing paint is an excellent solution for preventing leaks in your basement. It works by creating a barrier between the basement walls and the water outside. You should choose a paint specifically designed for basements and ensure that you apply it correctly according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

4. Install a Sump Pump

A sump pump is another solution for a wet basement. This device pumps water out of your basement, preventing it from pooling up and causing leaks. You’ll need to hire a professional plumber to install a sump pump system in your basement, but it’s an investment worth making if you’re dealing with a wet basement.

5. Improve Exterior Drainage

Your home’s exterior drainage is crucial for preventing leaks in your basement. If your gutters and downspouts are not effectively directing water away from your home, it can cause water to pool near the foundation and seep into the basement. You should make sure your gutters are clean and free of debris, and that your downspouts are directing water at least ten feet away from your home’s foundation.

6. Insulate Pipes

Insulating your basement pipes can prevent condensation and moisture buildup, which can lead to leaks. Pipe insulation is affordable and easy to install, and it can save you from costly repairs down the road.

7. Seal Basement Windows and Doors

Finally, basement windows and doors can be a significant source of leaks. You should inspect these areas and ensure that they are adequately sealed. If you find any gaps or leaks, you can use weatherstripping or insulation to seal them off effectively.

A wet basement can be a frustrating and costly problem for any homeowner. Fortunately, there are several solutions to keep your basement dry. Whether you install French drains, fix foundation cracks, use waterproofing paint, install a sump pump, improve exterior drainage, insulate pipes, or seal windows and doors, taking action to prevent basement leaks can save you from costly repairs and ensure the safety and integrity of your home.

May '23

What to Do If Your Basement Floods: A Step-by-Step Guide

Things You Should Do Immediately After a Flood Hits Your Basement

Coming home to a flooded basement can be a terrifying experience. It can also be damaging to your home’s foundation and structure and dangerous if it’s been around for a while. Knowing what to do in case of flood quickly, will save you a lot of time and money. Here’s a step-by-step guide for a homeowner going through the difficult process of baseline flooding.

Step One: Safety First

The very first thing to do in case of a flooded basement is to assess the safety conditions in the room. If the water has reached an unsafe level, it’s best to seek professional help. Additionally, since most basements contain electrical panels and items that may become damaged by exposure to water, it’s pivotal to turn off the power to the area. To do this, locate the main breaker switch and turn it off. Then, call a professional plumber to check that everything is alright and/or advise you on how to proceed.

Step Two: Document and Report the Damage

Flooding of any degree can be extremely damaging to a home. Before attempting any restoration, it’s important to document the damage and get help. Take pictures of the area, any flooding equipment, and the affected items. It’s best to write down details about the water damage (date, cause, extent, etc.) before filing any kind of claim. For best results, hire a professional flood damage attorney as soon as possible to ensure that all the claims are in order and filed properly.

Step Three: Entry and Removal of Standing Water

Once you’ve ensured your safety, the next step is to start cleaning out the water. You’ll need to enter the room to begin the water extraction process. When doing so, it’s important to wear protective clothing, gloves, and any other safety equipment you deem necessary. Depending on the severity of the flood you may need to use some additional entry point – such as hiring a pump truck service to get the excess water out.

inspecting and preventing mold to grow in your home.

The drying and mold prevention process is an important step

Step Four: Begin Drying and Mold Prevention

The last and most important step after assessing the safety of your basement is to begin the drying and mold prevention process. This step is vital for protecting the structural integrity of your home and preventing the growth of mold. To start, open windows and doors where possible to allow air circulation, purchase some dehumidifiers to reduce humidity, and use fans to help speed the drying process. You’ll also want to use over-the-counter mold prevention products and check your basement regularly.

Conclusion

Flooding can be a devastating experience for a homeowner. Although it can be a long and difficult process, following these four steps can help you tackle the problem quickly and efficiently. From assessing the safety of your basement to documenting and reporting the damage to entry and removal of standing water to drying and mold prevention, it’s important to take quick action in order to prevent further damage. With the right tools and precautions, you can restore your basement’s structural integrity and safety. Learn from your any mistakes and make sure you have the proper flood prevention systems installed in your home for the next time a heavy rain hits.

Jul '22

8 Tips to Help Prevent Home Flooding During the Rainy Season

One of the most beautiful things about living on this planet is the regularity with which seasons come and go. Every single year for as long as humans can remember, the rainy season comes. Following in the wake of those rains are a lot of good things and, sometimes, a few bad things.

The rains create the environment we need for our food to sprout and also feed the underground rivers where we get our water. But the same rain that turns nature into a lush paradise can ruin homes. The rainy season is synonymous with flooding, not only in fields but also in homes.

The rains will certainly come and go, but you want to be sure that after the rainy season is gone, your home will be as it was before the rains came. You wouldn’t want floodwater getting into your house and leaving you with mountains of bills to pay or even endangering your family’s life.

That blessing of rain from the skies can also become a curse of floodwater inside your home unless you take the right steps, warns Sun-Pro Realty & Management. Don’t forget that the stress and expenses of fixing water damage are nothing compared to the small steps you can take to prevent flooding in your home.

That bears repeating; flood prevention is many times more inexpensive than the cost of restoring your home after it has been hit by a flood. How can you keep your home from being flooded this rainy season? Here are tips you can follow to keep your property safe when it rains.

8 tips to help you prevent flooding in your home

Improve drainage by grading the area around your home

Water naturally flows from high ground to low. If the ground near the foundation of your home is lower than the surrounding areas, you will have flooding in the basement. Take note of the direction that water flows when it is on your property and areas where floodwater accumulates around the home.

Make sure the ground around the base of the house slopes down to the street. Add dirt and sod to make the ground higher, if necessary.

Inspect and clean downspouts and gutters

Downspouts collect rainwater from the gutters around your roof and discharge it into a part of the property where it won’t flow back into your home. But downspouts and gutters will only play their role if they are not clogged with debris or damaged.

Make a habit of inspecting and cleaning your gutters and downspouts regularly, particularly if there are lots of trees around your home.

Test your sump pump on a schedule

The sump pump is supposed to automatically remove floodwater that finds its way into your basement. This system is designed to work without your direct involvement, but sump pumps can fail.

You may not realize that your sump pump has stopped working until your home is unexpectedly flooded. You can avoid this by doing scheduled tests of the sump pump and installing a backup system.

Keep storm drains free of debris

Any debris you let scatter around your yard can find its way into the storm drain when it rains. Blocked drains on your property or the street will predispose your home to floods.

All storm drains on your property are your responsibility to clean and maintain. You should also inform the city department responsible for cleaning the city’s drains if a storm drain on the street is posing problems.

Clean clogged drains after heavy rains

Even if you keep your yard free of debris, your drains can still get clogged with debris transported from the areas surrounding your home. After heavy rains, you should check your drains to make sure they are not clogged with debris. This is a lot of trouble to go through but it is a lot less than what you will have to endure if your home gets flooded.

Install a backflow prevention device

A backflow prevention device ensures that if during heavy rains, your home’s sewer systems are overwhelmed, water does not back up into your home. If there is no backflow device installed in your drains, you can end up with a lot of unpleasant material inside your house. A backflow device will save you the distress and cost of dealing with this kind of situation.

Protect your home with sandbags

If the home is in an area with a high risk of floods, you can reduce your home’s exposure to floodwaters by placing sandbags in those areas where the risk is highest. Sandbags are an effective way to redirect the flow of water and keep it from going where you don’t want it to. When using sandbags, pay close attention to the slope of the ground to avoid trapping the water, instead of redirecting it.

Install flood detection systems

Lastly, flood detection systems reduce your burden by taking over the work of keeping an eye on every part of your home for signs of flooding. Flood detection systems have become very advanced, and you can integrate them into your home security system or install them as a standalone system.

Apr '22

What To Do if Your Chicago Basement Gets Flooded This Summer

Home flooding is not something you would wish for yourself. However, statistics from flood factors show that about 84,559 properties in Chicago have over a 26% chance of experiencing severe flooding for the next 30 years.

From this data, we can say that Chicago has a moderate risk of flooding because about 14% of all the properties are at risk. That means there is a greater possibility of experiencing flooding.

Avoiding the thought of flooding or preparing for flooding will not prevent it from occurring. Instead, preparing for a flood will keep you composed and guided on the proper things to do if the situation arises. Your actions during and after a flooding incident will determine the damage your home sustains and the restoration.

Flooding in your basement is not an incident you should handle lightly. That is because it can cause havoc to the property, warns Mike Dunfee Property Management. A flooded basement can lead to:

Mold and mildew
Pest infestation
Poor indoor air quality
Foundation and structural damage such as sinking floors or cracks

What will you do if your basement experiences a flood this summer? Your response to basement flooding will depend on whether the basement is finished or unfinished. It will also depend on the source of the flood – sewage or seepage.

However, there are specific things you should do irrespective of the origin or nature of the flood. This article will explain everything you should do if your Chicago basement gets flooded this summer.

Six things to do in case of flood in your Chicago basement

Avoid entering the flooded basement

It is natural to think of rushing into the flooded basement to stop the leakage. Doing that will be very dangerous. That is because the water may get in contact with electrical sockets, appliances, or cables. When that happens, entering the flooded basement will result in electrocution.

Call an electrician and the gas company

An electrician has adequate training, experience, and tools to work on flooded basements. They will help you shut off the power supply to your home to prevent electrocution. Sometimes, the water gets high to the point that it will extinguish the pilot lights, and gas will pump into the property. In that case, you need to inform the gas company about the flood. They will turn off the gas supply to the property until flood restoration is complete.

Locate the source of the flood

After shutting off the gas and power supply, you can then locate the source of flooding. It would be best to turn off the water supply to your entire home if the flood is from a burst pipe. If the flood is from heavy rainfall, wait for the storm to pass before you clean up.

Sometimes the flooding may be from a faulty sump pump or clogged drain. If you cannot locate the source, it is advisable to call a reliable Chicago plumber. The plumber will help you find the origin and stop further flooding.

Rescue your valuables

Your ability to rescue your valuables will depend on the source of the flood. You may fail to salvage upholstered furniture and rug carpets if it is due to sewer backup. However, other appliances may be salvageable. When flooding is from water leaks or seepage, you can evacuate your items and dry them.

Clean up

How you clean up the flood will depend on the extent and nature of the flooding. If it is a minor flood, you may decide to clean it yourself. However, it is advisable to hire a company for basement flood clean up services.

The earlier you start the clean-up, the better for your property. Mold and mildew may grow 24 hours after the flood. It would be best to act fast and remove all wet rugs, books, boxes, or other moisture-retaining items.

If you hire a flood restoration company, they have the necessary tools and skills to remove all the flood from your basement and dry it. Laminate or hardwood floors in finished basements may not be salvageable. However, ceramic tiles or concrete will remain functional.

Use dehumidifiers and fans

Dehumidifiers and fans will help the basement dry faster after cleaning up the water. It is advisable to open all the basement windows to aid the drying. Alternatively, you may also decide to put on the heater or air conditioner.

The bottom line: What to do if your Chicago basement gets flooded this summer

Restoring your property after experiencing basement flooding is a tedious process. That is why it is better to prevent floods by waterproofing your basement. You should hire professionals to help keep your basement dry and maintain your property’s structural integrity.

Mar '22

What To Do When Your Basement Floods

Accidents like this happen. It doesn’t need to be your fault, but, at the end of the day, it is your responsibility to take care of your home. The crucial factor in dealing with the flood damage is the immediate reaction. The sooner you start handling the situation, the sooner you’ll have a clean and healthy basement. Still, many people are confused about what they should do after a flood happens, so they wait too long to start fixing their homes. We figured we’d share the best course of action if your basement floods, so you don’t make the same mistake as the majority.

Act quickly

We can’t stress this enough – it’s crucial to act quickly if your basement floods. If you start removing the water immediately, you can prevent further problems such as mold. Also, if any of the objects can be saved, it’s best to remove them to a dry place as soon as possible. This is also an excellent time to contact a professional plumber who can help you locate the problem.

Don’t touch anything before disconnecting the electricity

Depending on the size of the flood, your electrical system might be in danger. That’s why it’s essential to contact a professional electrician or your power supplier and consult them about turning off the electricity before dealing with anything else. Just to be safe, make sure you shut power off all around the basement, even before contacting someone to help you out.

Keep an eye on your electrical system when your basement floods.

Locate the source

Before entering the basement, put on gloves and boots to stay clean and safe. And once you’re all geared up, try to locate the source of all the water, and turn off the valve connected to the leaking pipe. Likewise, finding the drain and ensuring it’s not clogged will help the water go out much faster. If the flood occurred because of rain and storm, make sure it stops before you start dealing with all the water. Other sources of flood can be foundation cracks, snowmelt, or sump pump problems.

Removing the water

Depending on the size of the flood, removing the water can be a more or less complicated thing to do. You can use a mop and a bucket for smaller amounts of water and a sump pump to remove it. Sump pumps are crucial for every home because they drive the water away from the house. In case there is no sump pump, the water may go up to the house.

Another way to remove water is by using a wet/dry shop vacuum. Make sure you set it to the suction mode and use a wide attachment at the end of the hose. After sucking up all the water, deposit it away from your home, especially away from the foundation. Finally, use cloth or sponges to remove small amounts of water left on the floor.

A person using a mop and a bucket to clean.

Mops can be helpful when you need to clean a smaller amount of water.

A dehumidifier is a must when your basement floods

Another essential step is removing all the water and moisture using a dehumidifier. Immediately after removing the water, set a dehumidifier to remove all the excess moisture from the air and prevent musty odors and mildew.

Estimate the damage after the water is gone

Removing all the water is just a part of dealing with a basement flood. Assessing the damage is the second part of the work, and it has to be taken seriously. Water damage doesn’t need to be too obvious, so a thorough check-up will be necessary. In general, the most significant problems happen with wooden objects. These soak up water and need to be replaced. Carpets also don’t survive floods most of the time. You can try drying them as much as you can with your vac pump, but you’d probably still need to replace them.

Examine all the appliances

Very often, people keep their washers and dryers in the basement. So, when your basement floods, you can expect your appliances won’t work afterward. However, some of these may still be usable – microwaves, washers, and dryers. However, appliances with insulation, such as ovens and fridges, rarely survive floods. Either way, make sure you ask a professional to check the appliances for you.

Cleaning

Even though it’s ‘just’ water, you should know that floodwater is probably filthy. Therefore, anything that this water touched should be cleaned properly.

Taking care of the serious damage

Powerful floods can seriously damage your home’s foundation, drywall, windows, doors, etc. They can mess up the whole structure of the house, soak up the insulation, and more. This is why you should always take these kinds of repairs seriously and make sure your home is in perfect condition after the accident.

If there’s a lot to do in the house, removing your furniture and other items for a while would be a great idea. You’d keep them away from dust, moisture, and further damage and protect them until all the hard work is complete. Just be sure to take your time to explore all options when it comes to renting a storage unit in Chicago. There are units of different sizes and prices, and they offer various conditions for the items in storage. Make sure you know your needs in terms of size and conditions before comparing the offers and choosing the best option.

Water is essential for our existence, yet it can do a lot of damage.

Don’t stress

Undoubtedly, it is challenging to stay calm when your basement floods. However, this is not something you should stress so much about that you end up putting your health at risk without even solving the problem. Instead, this is the time to be practical, fast, and efficient and do everything to repair the damage and move on. And maybe it’s time to reconsider flood insurance rates!