A flooded basement can be a huge problem, especially if it means a sewage leak. Damage to the sewage backup in basement areas, or even just a broken water pipe, can be enough to cause your entire basement to flood if you are not careful.
But how do you deal with your flooded basement, especially if you do not know who you can call to fix the problem? The faster you can respond to a flooded basement, the easier it becomes to fix the problem before it gets worse and causes even more damage.
Assess the Problem
If you can figure out anything about the cause of the leak, you can tell third-party contractors more information about what to expect. Even something as small as a visibly damaged pipe can be enough to tell you where the source of the leak is, giving you a bit more context for the problem.
While this might not seem all that important at first, it makes it a lot easier to find a contractor or expert that knows how to deal with that situation. Even figuring out whether the flooding is a sewage leak or a water leak can be enough to slash the overall repair time in half, allowing you to get the problem fixed a lot sooner.
Respond Quickly
The longer you let your basement flood, the more damage it will cause. If you are not careful, you might end up delaying the repairs long enough to completely ruin your basement, as well as all of the appliances and possessions inside it.
The faster you react, the better, so do not wait around to figure out more about the situation. Once you know that the leak is there (and, ideally, know what the cause might be), you should move on to gathering help or figuring out how you can minimize the damage.
Pump It Out
While you can’t usually fix your entire basement leak yourself, you can at least keep draining the water or sewage to ensure that the problem is not as severe. Sewage cleanup is not easy, but even a basic pump unit might be enough to stop the basement from flooding as rapidly as it has been.
The basement will need to be drained anyway if you are calling a professional in, so you might as well start draining it yourself if you can. Of course, you also need to know where you can drain it – if all else fails, your garden might be the best option for emptying the flooded basement.
Call a Specialist
Figuring out who to call for a flooded basement can sound tough, but it is actually not all that hard. The most important thing is to understand the problem, and if you do not know the specifics, then you want a professional who can come in to take a look at the leak.
Really, the most important thing is to get the leak fixed. The sooner you can have somebody repair the damage, the quicker the leaks will stop, giving you more time to figure out if you need to replace a section of piping or fix a damaged appliance. Shut down the leak first, then try to figure out if something specific caused it.