Water in Basement

How to Deal with Physical and Chemical Hazards after a Flood.

Do not attempt to move displaced chemical containers or propane tanks as these may be punctured and present a risk to safety. Before entering your home make sure the building is structurally safe. Look for buckled walls or floors. Watch for holes in the floor, broken glass and other potentially dangerous debris.

How to Deal with Electric and Gas Utilities

Avoid any downed power lines, particularly those in water. Avoid electrical shock by wearing rubber boots in an area flooded with more than two inches of standing water. Keep extension cords out of the water. If the power is on in the flooded area, shut it off immediately at the breaker box. If conditions are wet around the breaker box, sand on a dry board and use a dry stick to turn off the switch. Consult your utility company if you require assistance. All electrical equipment and appliances must be completely dry before returning them to service. It is advisable to have a certified electrician check these items if there is any question.

Natural gas or propane tanks should be shut off to avoid fire or explosions until it is safe to use them. Use battery-powered flashlights and lanterns. If you smell gas or suspect a leak, turn off the main gas valve, open all windows, and leave the house immediately. Notify the gas company or the police or fire departments, and do not turn on the lights or do anything that could cause a spark. Also, remember not to operate any gas powered equipment indoors.

How to Deal with Flood Impacted Housing Material and Furniture

Do not allow children into the house or yard until everything has been cleaned and disinfected. If children must be present during clean-up, supervise them closely. Do not attempt to save any absorbent articles and/or housing materials that have been exposed to sewage or river water. Surfaces and items that are salvageable must be cleaned first with soap and clean water, rinsed, and then disinfected.

Rebuilding After the Flood

Flood have caused considerable damages all throughout the world and but people have learnt rebuilding after the flood no matter how devastating the flood had been. US government has also launched various programs and formed various committees for rebuilding after the flood.

Things are not so easy as they seem on the face value. The whole scenario of rebuilding after the flood depends upon what kinds of water has entered the house. The white water flood is usually the one with clean water sweeping into the houses. This is clean water and creates dampness and wet atmosphere. You can clean up quickly once the floodwater recedes. The mold start growing after 72 hours of dampness and with the white water flood you need to take care of only the wetness and the dampness. You can hire the professionals or can clean up your self.

But there are cases when the water comes in contact with some foreign material and may gather dirt or other foreign matter. This kind of flood is gray water flood. You need to take care of the contamination as well as the dampness. You shall need to get the water checked or the material analyzed to check for the type of contamination or type of foreign matter present in the flood. This may need a little more work than the clean water.

The worst kind of flood is when the water comes in contact with sewage or bad contaminants. This is the black water, which needs to be taken utmost care. Usually you shall be required to throw away whatever has come in contact with the water. Anything soft or perishable definitely goes out. Hard surfaces made of glass; stone etc can be washed and rinsed with soap water. But the water required for cleaning of these things needs to be boiled first.

If black water enters the dry wall in the house it needs to be cut out and replaced. For cutting these you shall need to cut the wall minimum 12 inches above the highest point of water level. The studs in the wall also need to be disinfected, cleaned and dried. It shall be the case with the cupboards as well.

Rebuilding after the flood is required most in case of wooden furniture as wood is the most probable candidate to suffer maximum losses from the flood. The doorframes and any wood surface are surely destroyed by the floodwater. Rebuilding after the flood usually begins after the water level has receded. If the water has set a little longer then the baseboards shall need to be changed just in case if the water has logged in. Tile floor shall also need to be replaced as well. In most of the cases carpets are usually ruined.

So when you start rebuilding after the floods just check out the type of water and its contamination. It would be a lot helpful to clean up afterwards.

water in basement

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