CINCINNATI — Withheavy rains now hitting the Cincinnati area, basements across the Tri-State could see water, from saturated yards and clogged gutters.
Many gutters are filled with spring tree blooms, which can prevent them from properly draining.
So if you have a basement with water seeping in, or you are just concerned, there are some simple things you can do, according to ServePro.
Get rugs, couches and boxes off the floor
If you see any water, you need to act before it starts damaging your valuables.
First, roll up and remove area rugs on basement floors.
Couches can be lifted and placed on bricks or cinder blocks.
And pick up any cardboard boxes sitting on the floor, especially in basement closets.
Check the sump pump and garage drain
If you have a sump pump, test it.
You can manually flip the trigger switch on most sump pumps to make sure the power is on, they are running and that there is no pipe clog.
And clear out garage and driveway drains, which may be clogged with dirt and sticks after a month of winter weather.
Water in the basement? What to do:
If things are already wet inside your home, the first thing you should do is try to remove everything wet, especially carpeting and carpet padding.
It will start getting moldy within 24 hours if left damp on a basement floor.
Wet rugs will not dry out in a damp basement, and need to be lifted upstairs.
Franchise owner Patrick Wright ofServeProsays says unless you have several high powered fans and dehumidifiers, you should call a professional, to get everything dry before mold grows.
"You can't count on it drying out on its own," Wright explained. "If you leave damp carpeting down there, mold will most likely grow. The only way to guarantee that it won't is to clean it up." He says wet carpeting must be lifted to be dried, or else mold will grow underneath the cool damp padding underneath.
Once you get the cleanup started, the next question is how to pay for it.
Restoration of a finished basement can hit the thousands of dollars, because most people don't have flood insurance.
The Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati may help with cleanup and may reimburse for some losses.
MSD has a program to assist customers who experience a sewer backup in their home related to a capacity issue in the MSD public sewer system.
This involves sewage backing up through a floor drain or toilet, not stormwater.
You can apply for help at their website or by phone, by calling(513) 352-4900.
If you need help drying things out, contact companies like ServePro and Teasdale Fenton, or Cincinnati's Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD).
Consider flood insurance
Every year, flood victims learn that standard insurance will not cover flood damage in most cases.
Click here to find out how to purchase flood insurance, and to learn about a cheaper option that is often perfect for Cincinnati homeowners: drain backup insurance,which costs just a few dollars a month.
Best of luck with this spring's rain, and as always, don't waste your money.
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