Flooding in the basement can be a real bugbear. While there are some occasions when it is safe and practical to deal with a minor flood by pumping out the water and cleaning, many cases are more severe or complicated. In this instance, it is strongly advisable to bring in experts such as plumbers, restoration specialists, and Mold Remediation in Lexington with the equipment and knowledge to deal with your situation quickly and safely.
Electrical Issues
One of the most immediate problems with flooding can be the unfortunate effects of water and electricity, which can make trying to deal with the flood water very dangerous. If you cannot disconnect the electricity to the basement safely and the water is over two inches deep, experts like The Plumbing Info say you need a professional to help you. They can ensure it will be safe for them and for you to work in your basement.
Sewage
Sewage can be highly dangerous to your health, so if the flood water in your basement is contaminated, there are serious risks from bacteria. In this situation, you should always use professionals rather than try to deal with the flooding yourself.
Deep Water
If the flooding in your basement is deep, then you are unlikely to be able to dry it out quickly with the kind of equipment you’ll have at your disposal. Professional restoration and emergency teams have high-powered fans and industrial dehumidifying hardware to cope with the job. You only have 24-36 hours to dry out a basement after a flood. Any longer, you’ll be looking at long-term issues like mold. Mold is hazardous to your health and also very hard to completely get rid of, and a damp basement is exactly where it will take hold quickly. If you can’t dry things out fast, you are going to need to get help.
You Don’t Know The Cause
Another time you should call the pros is if you’re unsure why the basement flooded, as this would indicate a plumbing issue. In some cases, what happened can be obvious, for example, if a storm caused a power outage that made your sump pump go offline during heavy rain. When this happens, you can usually be confident that once the pump has power again, the original cause will be resolved. In other cases, though, you may not know what happened and will need a plumbing expert to investigate to avoid it happening again!
Usually, the best course of action is to call in the experts, especially if you have never dealt with the aftermath of a flood. You will probably want to take some tasks on yourself, such as drying out smaller items from the basement and general cleaning, but there is no good reason to ever put yourself at risk.
