What to do when Your Basement Floods
According to the National Flood Insurance program, flooding results in more than $3 billion is floor insurance claims every year. While some floods are the result of Mother Nature, others are just common household mishaps – like an overflowing bathtub or toilet, malfunctioning appliance, a burst pipe, or a clogged and backed up drain.
If you have a basement in your North Charleston home, it is prone to flooding – plain and simple. Every basement is, unless you live atop a hill! After all, gravity rules and water runs downhill. Under the right circumstances, your basement could temporarily become a koi pond; not something we want.
So, if you ever discover a flooded basement (or any part of your home flooded, for that matter), act quickly! Here’s why:
- Mold growth happens quickly when building materials are exposed to moisture. Some experts say it happens in as little as 24 to 48 hours. If not properly treated, the mold could spread.
- Just because the cause of the water damage is repaired, such as fixing a broken or leaking pipe, doesn’t mean there hasn’t been water penetrating at that spot for a while and other damage could be lurking within the wall.
- Water can seep deep into wall cavities and create pockets of saturation.
- Those pockets could remain unseen for a long time. However, just because you don’t see visible evidence of water damage, know that damage is likely being done to drywall, wood, or whatever other substance it might be sitting on.
A professional restoration company can begin extracting the water and drying any flooded places very quickly – day, night, weekend, or holiday. We understand it might be tempting to try to clean up the water yourself, set up a few fans, and hope everything dries quickly – but you really could be doing more damage in the long run, which means an even more costly repair down the line.
Restoration companies, like Clean Masters, are well-stocked with drying equipment and chemicals. We’ve been drying out homes and businesses for years, and in many cases can have the structure dried out in just a few days thanks to innovations in drying technology.
Like many industries, restoration contractors abide by some industry best practices. We promise to return your home to the condition it was before the flood ever happened – and if we are being honest, we will likely return it to you in even better condition than it was before the damage occurred. They are also well trained to effectively treat the mold, if there is any, so it won’t be a recurring problem.
Clean Masters is ready to go to work 24/7. Yes, that includes holidays and weekends! We know that when Uncle Ben comes to visit on Christmas day, there is a chance for a plumbing mishap. Or Aunt Betty has a tendency to overdo on the egg nog and leave candles burning all night (hello fire hazard!). Our compassionate team understands that emergencies happen around-the-clock, and are ready to be out the door to begin the restoration process as quickly as possible.
