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Safety Tips for Flooded Basement Cleanup

September 30, 2020

We know you don’t want to think about or deal with the hassle of water damage from a flooded basement.

Unfortunately, there is a chance that your basement could flood during the rainy season. A flooded basement is undoubtedly aggravating and inconvenient.
If you have to do flooded basement cleanup, we want to make sure that you are cleaning up the mess in a safe manner. Don’t make these common flooded basement cleanup mistakes! Here are four steps and several tips to help you keep your family safe and get back to normal.

Additionally, you can check out our Ultimate How-To Guide for a Flooded Basement.

Step 1: Secure the Area and Your Family

Turn off the electricity

If there is any possibility that the water in the basement is in contact with a live electric current, you should not enter the water. Take the necessary precaution and turn off your main breaker box. Be sure only to do this if you can reach it without standing in water. If you can’t shut off the power yourself, call your power company and have them turn off the service until you have everything you need out of your flooded basement.

Wear appropriate clothing

If you do feel comfortable and safe walking through your flooded basement, be sure to wear boots with a good grip and thick soles. You may find mold or mildew, which will cause the area to be even more of a slip hazard. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from contaminants. Make sure you wash your skin thoroughly with soap if you come into contact with standing water from your basement.

Be aware of flammable substances

If a flood is severe enough to affect a large regional area, it is possible that the flood waters carried gasoline or other flammable chemicals into your basement. Be cautious that these substances could be in your home and watch out for any fumes. If you smell any chemical, especially gas, evacuate your family immediately.

Step 2: Call The Professionals

You can take steps on your own to recover from a flooded basement or any other disaster. However; at some point, you are going to need the professionals. Calling your insurance agent is the best place to start, which is a crucial step that some people forget. Your insurance agent will be able to walk you through your coverage and what questions you need to ask the restoration company you choose. That restoration company should be your next call.

Hays + Sons is Ready to Help

At Hays +Sons we have a 24/7 emergency line for any disaster. Just give us a call at 800-536-4056 and we will dispatch a trained professional to your home to start the recovery process. Water mitigation requires highly specialized processes and procedures to minimize both short- and long-term damage.  Our dedicated water team has extensive experience in water mitigation and restoration. These specialists are certified and receive ongoing training to maintain a current, effective approach to be a trusted partner to you. Continual training is a priority for our company and it ensures that our team of specialists is always equipped with the latest tools and techniques.

We have developed our water restoration process over the last 35+ years helping families like yours get their lives back to normal as quickly as possible. No one can make the flood unhappen, but we can help you retain as much normalcy as possible. Our water damage restoration experts ready to serve you at any of our locations in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Muncie, Crown Point, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, & Columbus.

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Step 3: Remove Personal Property

While the water mitigation team is on the way to your location, you can start protecting your personal property from permanent damage. First, move anything you can that is in standing water.  These items are the most likely to incur damage. Not all is lost though, the Hays + Sons contents restoration team is able to save more than most people realize.

From your child’s favorite stuffed animal to the couch you use for family movie night, we can restore your personal property. Our Indianapolis facility is run by trained professionals who have restored personal property for 100s of clients going through our water mitigation process. They inventory all your items at your home, then transport them to our dedicated Indianapolis facility. Using cutting-edge technology, they dry and clean items affected by the rising water. Your possessions will be carefully passed through an ozone machine to remove odors and lingering mold. Then they will be stored in a climate controlled facility while your basement is restored.

Step 4: Relax

At this point, the water mitigation team should be on site removing any standing water. Their focus will be on preventing short-term and long-term damage to your home. The two biggest worries are structural damage and mold. Hays + Sons will apply our expertise in these areas to keep you safe in the long run. We will work with your insurance agent to make sure they are aware of the extent of the damage. So it is time for you to focus on the important things in life like spending time with your family.

About Hays + Sons

For more than 38 years, Hays + Sons has been the property restoration company that families, businesses and schools trust. We’re committed to helping you be prepared when the unexpected strikes, and whether you just want tips for fire and smoke damage prevention or currently have fire damage, Hays + Sons has the capacity and expertise to help you get back to normal ASAP.

The compassionate, experienced, and trusted residential restoration experts at Hays + Sons are just a phone call away, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

If you’re in need of fire damage restoration, get in touch with us at one of our offices across Indiana or in Cincinnati, Ohio.