Released on: October 30, 2008, 4:09 pm

Press Release Author: water damage team

Industry: Construction

Press Release Summary: To help prepare you for such a situation, the experts at the
Water Damage Team have compiled these easy tips to clean a flooded basement.

Press Release Body: Wake Forest, NC - To prepare early for the winter season please
enjoy the following list of tips to clean a flooded basement.

"Although it's easy to call a water damage specialist, there's a lot you can do on
your own to clean your flooded basement and preserve your home," notes David Beavers
of the Water Damage Team. "With a flood mess, acting quickly and tactfully is
essential to prevent mold from growing and destroying the foundation of your home."

Assess the Damage
Before trying to clean anything, take a good look at your flood-damaged area. Take
note of how much water is present, and how long it's been sitting there. If there is
a large amount of water, you might want to consider the likelihood of you taking
care of the removal on your own. Is a water removal specialist required?

Turn Off Power
Before touching or entering any floodwater, find a big flashlight and turn the power
off. If the flood already knocked out your power, make sure the switch gets turned
to off anyways just in case the power returns. This also means of course you won't
have power to use water pumps or fans, and a portable power source or generator will
be required.

Locate Entrances
Try to find any and all entrances for floodwater in the basement. Whether water is
still getting in or not, make sure they're closed off so there's no chance of your
basement re-filling like a fountain. This step is important and can save you a lot
of time.

Remove Water
Before you can even think about cleaning, you need to get the sitting water out! The
longer you leave water sitting, the more likely your home is getting structurally
damaged. If you have a sump pump, use it. If not, consider renting or borrowing a
wet shop vac if you don't own one, or just have friends help you bail out water with
anything you can find. Do whatever you can to get the water out as soon as possible,
time is of the essence and every minute counts.

Ventilate
To Help with he drying process, find any source of ventilation possible. If it's not
raining, open up all the doors and windows to obtain airflow. If you have a powerful
enough generator, plug in fans. This will also help prevent mold from forming in
your basement and damaging your home.

Large Objects
After most of the water is removed, remove most or all objects in basement. Make two
piles, a keep and throw away. Some items, such as furniture, have very little chance
of surviving a flood without being ruined and can be put aside right away. You may
want friends and family to help you with this step, as it can be a hard and
emotional task.


Web Site: http://www.waterdamageteam.com

Contact Details: Mathew Guiver, Search Engine Marketing Consultant
Water Damage Team
1-800-533-0626
http://www.waterdamageteam.com