Dealing with a flooded basement is nobody’s idea of a good time. A wet basement can mean water damage, sewage backup, burst pipes, and more. To put it lightly, a basement flood is a huge headache. It’s important to learn what to do about your basement flooding before it happens so that you’re prepared—and so you know your waterproofing options.
Keep reading to learn:
First things first: safety! You shouldn’t enter the basement without making sure that your power is shut off. It’s possible that appliances, like your washer, dryer, or a spare refrigerator, could be dangerous in a flooded basement. Additionally, the flood water could contain bacteria that can be harmful to you and your family.
If you need to go into the basement, wear waterproof rubber boots and avoid any electrical devices—but we recommend calling an electrician to make sure you are completely safe.
The second most important thing is draining the water. If already installed, Helitech’s patented Hydraway drainage will quickly and efficiently remove standing water from your basement. However, if you do not have Hydraway installed, you can utilize a temporary pump with flex hose to discharge the water outside of your basement. The best thing to do is to wait for the water to recede or call a water removal company for assistance.
Once the water is drained, this will allow you to retrieve your belongings and our team to safely inspect the basement for the source of basement leaking and how to prevent it in the future.
A burst pipe may be the cause of the leak; that will be pretty easy to spot. However, if you’ve recently had heavy rains and see water on the basement floor or basement walls, you may instead be dealing with leaky basement windows or cracks in your foundation walls.
Helitech can help you determine the cause of your leak, which will inform how we handle the flood damage—and how we prevent future flooding in your basement.
A flooded basement can seriously damage any belongings you’ve stored in your basement. Whether you have a bit of standing water or a much higher water level, it’s important to remove what you can as soon as possible.
This is also a good time to call your insurance company to file a claim on your home insurance. Talk with your insurance agent for more information on your specific situation, like if you carry flood insurance and if that applies to your flooded basement.
If you have important furniture or other items, we also recommend calling restoration specialists who can help with any needed water damage restoration.
If your basement is prone to leaking (and even if it’s not), we recommend you take a few, small preventative steps in case of heavy rains or flooding. Store your belongings in rubber tubs with tight lids, instead of cardboard boxes. Utilize raised shelving to keep smaller belongings (and those rubber tubs) off the floor. Finally, we recommend keeping your appliances higher than the floor level, by either setting them on wooden pallets or another raised surface.
You can trust that we know what we’re doing when it comes to basement waterproofing; our Hydraway system removes water 70% faster than industry-standard methods, eliminating flooding threats before water ever enters your basement in the first place.
The Hydraway waterproofing system directs water away from your foundation walls and your basement. We place it at the lowest point, below the basement floor where the floor and walls meet; this catches the water right away. The water flows through the Hydraway, a crucial component of the Hydraway system, which drains the excess water away from your basement. Hydraway captures any water that might make it through the space between the wall and the floor and relieves the pressure that can affect the structure of your foundation.
Once this water is captured, the Helitech sump pump system takes the water outside—leaving your basement dry, no matter how big of a storm you get.
Helitech’s wall paneling also protects your basement from incoming moisture. This wall panel seals off the basement and can transform a damp, unfinished basement into a functional and cozy living space.
We can also install yard drainage systems that will direct excess water away from your foundation before it even gets close to the Hydraway system. With both of these drainage options in place, you can rest assured that your basement will be as close to waterproof as you can get!
So you know what to do if your basement floods—but how do you prevent it from happening again? The first step is to work with Helitech on a flood drainage system; the next is to identify the cause of the flood so you can fix that too.
We’ve covered many waterproofing options because poor waterproofing is closely related to basement flooding. However, these other causes are more common than you’d think:
If your gutters are blocked with leaves, sticks, or other debris, that can lead to a build-up of water right alongside your foundation.
Make sure your gutters are level, securely fastened to your roof, and extend several feet beyond your foundation to properly move the water a safe distance away from your home.
Nobody wants to think about it, but if your sewer line backs up, that can cause a lot of problems you definitely don’t want to deal with. Make sure your sewer system is fully functioning on a regular basis.
Schedule yearly inspections for your water tank and hot water heater to ensure none of the equipment is failing. A hole in one of these appliances can create a nasty headache.
Check out the pipes you can access regularly as well. Should you have a burst pipe on your hands causing a basement flood, turn off your home’s water immediately!
