Thursday, May 28, 2015

What Homeowners Have To Know If You Are Dealing With A Flooded Basement

By John Pattrico


If you are living in a house there are many things that can negatively affect your home. One of the most frustrating things to deal with is a flooded basement. This is because water in your basement can affect so many different areas of your home. If you are dealing with this issue, here are some steps you can take to make the process easier and less stressful.

Many people check where a home is located before they buy or rent. They think that if the home is sitting on raised land that it may be less susceptible to water in the basement. This can help but it may not be the only consideration that you need to take into account if you are worried about water infiltrating your basement in large amount.

If you do experience an event like this, you need to be aware of how far reaching the effects can be. The most obvious is that the water can damage furniture, electronics and personal effects. The next is that the flood can seep into walls, flooring and other areas and this can lead to problems down the road. Mildew, mold and even excess structural damage can cause problems months or years later.

While some homes are susceptible to flooding due to their proximity to a river or body of water, all homes may deal with this issue at one time or another. A flood may result due to a ruptured hot water tank, a pipe which has burst or even heavy rainfall that can overwhelm a property's drainage system. There are other reasons why this may occur but these tend to be the most common.

Figuring out where the water is coming from is the first step. Once you know, you can take steps to stop it. This may mean shutting off the water main or the flow of water to your hot water tank. It may be more difficult to deal with an influx from a sewer back up or from heavy rainfall. It can be a good idea to look at your basement and identify where to shut off mains or where there may be drainage issues and head off this issue before you experience any problems.

You may need to mop up excess water and this can be time consuming. Once you have done so as much as you can you will need to contact your insurance company. They will start the process of reimbursing you for your furniture and any replacement of items that will be necessary.

Do not be surprised if your agent or an assessment specialist turns up at your home. The company will want to see the damage for themselves and may ask you a number of questions about what happened. Do not be stressed out by this although some questions may seem intrusive or very detailed. At this time, it can be helpful to take pictures and have a list of items that have been damaged.

You may find that you never have to deal with flooding but you cannot expect that you will avoid this issue. If you know how to handle the situation it won't be hard for you to get the kind of repairs you need and that your problems are dealt with as quickly as possible.




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