How To Handle Winter Basement Floods

It’s January! Say hello to extreme cold snaps and bouts of warm temperatures that can cause ice and snow to thaw, followed by more cold weather resulting in black ice on the roads, frozen pipes, and water damage to your home. With the unpredictability of the temperatures this time of year it is important to be prepared for potential water damage disasters to your home.

Melting ice turns in to running water that can find its way into the smallest of cracks and crevices when the weather cools down and causing the water to refreeze it starts to expand causing the cracks and crevices to widen. Just imagine what this would do to the foundation of your home. Eventually, the damage that is caused to the foundation of your home will cause your basement or crawlspace to flood and become a water damage mess.

What do you do when your Davenport basement floods?

When dealing with water damage in your basement you need to consider your safety first and foremost. The water that damages your property could be highly contaminated and could cause some serious health issue. Not to mention the risks of electrocution or shock if the water has come in contact with a power source.

Although not every water damage situation will be hazardous to your health, you should still take precaution and equip the proper safety gear before entering your basement or contact local water damage professionals, such as the certified technicians at Challis Restoration in Davenport to take care of the situation for you.

Did you know that water damage is categorized into three levels?

Category 1: Water damage that is caused by a clean water source is the first level. This water is not contaminated and will not harm anyone. Keep in mind that just because the water is sanitary doesn’t mean that entering a water damaged area of your home is safe. Broken debris, power outlets, and the structural integrity of your property should also be factored in when entering a water damaged area.

Category 2: A Category 2 water level refers to a source of water that can appear “gray” and contains chemical, physical, or biological contaminants. Exposure to Category 2 water damage can cause discomfort or sickness.

Category 3: Highly contaminated water that comes from sources such as sewage backup, overflowing toilets, or stormwater. The water of this level usually contains pathogens, pesticides, heavy metals, organic matter, bacteria, and toxic chemicals that can cause serious health issues or even death.

If your basement does flood and you find yourself ankle or even knee deep in standing water, you are going to want to reach out to a team of water damage cleanup professionals as soon as possible to prevent extensive damage to your belongings and the structural integrity of your property.  Failing to have the water damage cleaned up in a timely manner can result in the growth of mildew and mold. Any building materials that are affected can also become unstable and suffer from permanent damage.