Prevention is not only use when we talk about our health, but our assets as well. How do you prevent your basement from flooding? Do you know if it’s an interior or exterior problem? Do you know what to do when your basement is flooded?
There are some things you can do to prevent flooding from happening. Using rain barrels to collect the water from the roof to keep the ground around your house from over saturating is not only easy to do, but earth friendly as well.
The Emergency Management Division from the State of Washington offers a great deal of advice about basement flooding, and the steps you need to take in case of a flooded basement. Here we give you the three most important steps you need to take when facing the challenge of pumping out the water from your basement.
- Never go into a flooded basement unless you know the electricity is off.
- For insurance purposes, take pictures of your basement before beginning any work.
- When the water is no longer covering the ground around the perimeter of your house, you can begin pumping the water from your basement.
CAUTION: Do not use gasoline-powered pumps or generators indoors as they produce deadly carbon monoxide exhaust fumes.
Pumping Out a Flooded Basement
If your basement is flooded, don’t rush to pump it out. Water in the ground outside your house is pushing against the outside of your basement walls, and the water inside is pushing right back. If you drain your basement too quickly, the pressure outside the walls will be greater than the pressure inside, which may cause the basement floor and walls to crack and collapse.
If you want to read more about flood prevention and what to do in such cases, follow the link above to read the article.
