Basements are often a desired addition to a home. Many new home buyers add a basement to their housing requirements. Basements provide additional storage, shelter for increment weather and additional entertainment and living space. They are also a great place for overnight guests. Many homeowners store their washer and dryer appliances in their basements, for ease of laundry duties. Some may even turn their basements into play areas for the children, allowing them to keep the rest of the home clean and decluttered.
However, most basements will experience some type of water damage at some point in time.
Basement floods are one of the most common insurance claims and one of the most expensive.
The problem with basement flooding is that water damage quickly grows mold. If the flood is not cleaned properly, immediately, it can quickly turn into a much more serious problem. Water can also ruin many household items, including furniture, bedding, towels, clothing and carpets. In most insurance claims, the entire basement is being replaced, resulting in a very expensive claim. According to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), floods are the number one disaster in America, averaging over $3 billion in claims per year.
Although many floods cannot be prevented, the amount of damage from the flood can be minimized. Things like basement waterproofing and fixing basement water leaks immediately can prevent the amount of damage done to a basement by a flood. A basement waterproofing contractor is a great resource for fixing basement leaks and waterproofing the basement.
Things like small cracks and foundation cracks should be constantly monitored. Small cracks in the foundation may not cause any problems, but can quickly grow into a crack big enough to cause flooding and water damage. If your foundation has cracks wider than one fourth of an inch wide, of if you have stair cracks in blocks or bricks, you should take measures to fix it. It is often a good idea to use a foundation repair company to ensure that the cracks are fixed properly.
If a basement crack repair is not fixed properly, it can be filled from the exterior but still allow water into the basement through a deeper level. A foundation repair company often has the tools that are necessary to properly fix the basement crack repair to prevent flooding and water damage.
A foundation repair company generally only masks a problem. Sometimes new foundation or walls may need to be laid. Sometimes water damage and flooding still occurs, making waterproofing the basement very important. There is a big difference between the flooding of a basement that was waterproofed and one that was not.
Proper and immediate cleaning is needed when flooding does occur in the basement to prevent mold growth. It is often best to contact a professional mediation company, but the homeowner can do a few things to minimize the damages of the flood. Clean up and dry out your home thoroughly and quickly (within 24 to 48 hours) after flooding to prevent mold growth. Remove all items that were flooded that cannot be sanitized, such as carpet, clothing, bedding and cloth furniture. These things can quickly multiple mold growth.
Basements provide homeowners with many benefits. However, most basements tend to experience some type of flooding. Although flood can generally not be prevented, the amount of damage they incur can. Waterproofing basement services minimize the amount of damage that is caused from basement flooding. Additionally, monitoring basement cracks and immediately calling out a foundation repair company when cracks become larger can prevent the amount of water involved in the basement flooding.
