You might not be surprised to learn that water in unwanted places can cause tons of damage. Not only will it destroy your possessions, but it can also damage important components in the home and create potential growth for mold. Water gets inside your home in a variety of different ways including burst pipes, foundation leaks, and appliance failures. If you are lucky enough to catch the problem early, you can act quickly and prevent any major damage. However, if the situation gets out of hand you might have to bring in a water damage specialist in New York to deal with the issue. All of your success really depends on long the water has been around.
If your home has recently been flooded, you should never take it lightly, even if there is just an inch of water in your basement. This will be the perfect breeding ground for mold. Below you will learn some tips that will help you cleanse your basement of mold if it has recently been flooded.
Act Immediately To Save Your items
If you want to save your items in the basement, the best thing you can do is act quickly. The faster you act the better chance you have of saving your things. However, if you have an electronics that are in use or electrical outlets in the basement, you want to make sure that the power is turned off, so that you do get electrocuted. If you have carpet in the basement, you need to pull it up and completely remove it. It is possible that you might be able to save the carpet if you have it cleaned and disinfected. You will probably not be able to save the padding, because it acts likes a sponge and soaks up water.
Removing The Water
You are now going to need to remove all the water from the basement. There are several different ways in which you can do this. First, you can do it the old-fashioned way with buckets, towels, and mops. You can pour all the excess water down the sewage drain, as long as the drains aren’t backed up in your neighborhood. Another method to remove it water is by using a pump or wet/dry vacuum, but you need to be very careful with this method because it requires the use of electricity. You never want to run an extension cord or electrical cord through water, because there is a chance that you could get shocked or start a fire.
Drying Out The Area
Once you have the water completely removed from the basement, you will need to bring in fans and dehumidifiers to dry out the area the rest of the way. It is not raining outside you can open the windows, or door to help with the circulation. If your basement contains drywall you are more than likely going to have to remove all the infected drywall because it is also a good breeding ground for mold. Once the area is dry you will have to use a good name brand disinfect to remove any potential bacteria that has built up. Just remember that if this whole process seems overwhelming you can always hire a mold removal company in New York to do all this for you.