Steps to take after your basement floods

Daily Herald staff report

Your basement is full of water that not only ruined your carpet but could be polluted with harmful bacteria.

What's your next move?

Put safety first. There's always the danger of electrocution when water mixes with outlets and appliances, and people in the suburbs have died that way in their flooded basements.

Stay out until the water recedes, said Kathy Marr, owner of ServePro of Lombard\Addison.

But it's not just the electricity that's dangerous.

Stormwater in flooded basements often mixes with a home's sewer system and becomes contaminated. Even if that doesn't happen, the water can carry hazards from the environment into the home, the Lake County Health Department warns. Use boots and gloves when you start cleaning up to keep the water from touching exposed skin.

Cleaning services can book up quickly after a storm. If you're going to need help, get your names on companies' lists early, Marr said. She advised people get on multiple lists to increase their chances of getting help.

"Our lists can go into the hundreds in an hour," Marr said.

Likewise, if you need to rent big industrial fans, get to the rental supply store quickly.

Does wet carpeting have to be removed?

Stormwater carries bacteria, which can stay even if the carpet does dry so it is usually best to pitch it, many experts say.

Walls can be dried out in some cases, but even just a couple inches of water can wick 2 feet up inside the drywall, experts say. That's why most professionals will do a "dry cut" at 24 inches from the floor, just to be sure mold won't begin to grow.

Walls are where mold most commonly spreads after a flood, often within 36 to 48 hours. Any insulation that gets soaked should be replaced.

Mar said she makes more money from cleanup attempts that are botched or start too late, after basements have become moist petri dishes of mold and bacteria.

"Don't try to do too much of it yourself if you don't know what you are doing," Marr said. "A wall may seem dry on the surface, but it could be wet underneath."

The health department recommends scrubbing all surfaces touched by flood water with a solution of one-quarter cup of household bleach to a gallon of water. Clothing and bedding should be machine washed.

Suburban homeowners with a private well should make sure their well casing is not underwater. If it is, the well might be contaminated, the Lake County Health Department warns. When the rainwater recedes, test the well water, then get the well disinfected if necessary. Call your county health officials for more information.

Finally, beware of scams. Hire only contractors who are licensed and insured, and don't be afraid to ask them, cautions the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois. Or, check out a business at www.bbb.org.

Be particularly wary of people who come door-to-door and offer to do work for cash, the Better Business Bureau warns.