Basement Flooded?

There's no doubt about it. For most homeowners, dealing with basement flooding is about as nasty a job as it gets. Thankfully, mopping up after a basement flood doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg, just a bunch of elbow grease, a lot of perseverance, and some simple tools. That having been said, it's a time-consuming, messy, and stinky task - there's no two ways about it.

The first step is to make sure that it's safe to work in the basement water. You don't want to take any chances with electricity.

Removing thousands of gallons of standing water can take some time. The trick is using the right tools. You'll want to invest in one or two portable submersible pumps. These are often sold as "pool cover" pumps.

Pay close attention to the types of pumps you buy. Some pumps will draw water nearly off the floor, while other pumps will only work when there's a quarter inch of water or more.

Look for low spots in the concrete basement floor to place your pump, and run the hose as far away from the house as you can.

As the water drains, use a floor squeegee to push puddles of water towards the portable pump or towards the sump pump hole, if your basement has one.

Once you've removed as much water as possible with the pumps and floor squeegee, it's time to take out the wet vacuum. A wet vacuum with a quick pump out drain will save your back. You want to avoid carrying those full tanks of water up the basement steps.

That dry concrete will be a welcome sight!

While you can expect to spend some time drying out your basement, with the right tools and a little help, it won't take forever to recover.

Just hang in there!