If your basement has flooded due to heavy rainfall or perhaps even a burst pipe, your immediate reaction would be to drain out the water ASAP. But that doesn’t solve the issue completely. Water damage is one of those common property problems for which hiring professional water extraction services in Southern Maine is always a wise move.
This is because flooding and similar water damage can continue wreaking havoc long after you have drained the area. Whether you use a portable suction pump or extract water the old-fashioned way using buckets, you might think you’ve got it all under control. But a few weeks or maybe even months down the road, when you have almost forgotten about it, you start noticing swelling in the wooden structure, a weird musty smell, or worst still, mold patches in the impacted area.
Preventing Mold Infestation After Flooding
Failing to extract the water properly is one of the main reasons why homeowners are forced to look for mold remediation companies.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), floods are the most problematic natural disasters in the U.S., causing homeowners a loss of over $700 million every year in repair and restoration.
If you wish to avoid such financial blows, it’s essential to know how to prevent mold after your basement floods. Here are the top tips to follow:
- Drain the water right away: If it’s a small puddle around a leaking pipe and you can dry it by yourself, by all means, go ahead. Otherwise, dial an emergency water extraction service immediately. ( Do not unnecessarily delay draining the water, even if it’s just one inch or lesser – it’s still more than enough to seep into the floor and furniture and provide the ideal humidity for mold spores to attach to surfaces and start multiplying.
- Remove all the wet items: Clear up the space as much as you can by moving all wet items to a dry location. Ideally, you should move them to your garage or driveway where they can dry out effectively without damaging any other items.
- Ventilate the area: If it’s safe to use electricity, turn on the fans and dehumidifiers. Open the windows given that there’s no risk of outside water moving into the basement again. This helps reduce moisture in the air which can otherwise promote mold growth.
Think Smart – Let Professionals Handle It All
Regardless of the amount of water gathered in your basement, drying up the place in a way that guarantees you don’t encounter problems like mold growth in the future is easier said than done. In fact, it’s impossible to avoid mold infestation by using household items like buckets, wiper, and sump pump to drain the area.
Professional water extraction services in Southern Maine like those offered by EnviroClean use the latest equipment and advanced technology to not only clean the flooded space, but also restore all soaked items so that there’s absolutely no chance of mold and mildew growing in hidden areas.
Get in touch with us now to see how we can help you deal with all scales of water damage and associated issues.