In certain states in America, the law requires citizen to build basements for their houses. While to some this may be a joy, to others it can be a pain, especially after a very rainy night. One of the worst things to discover on your way to work is a flooded basement, with all your possessions dirtied and strewn everywhere.
In Flint, Michigan, a massive unrest in the community is swelling up as many people have started to complain about their flooded basements and who is at fault. Marcie Hamilton, a local resident, had a basement that was flooded with unsanitary toilet water that went up to ten inches deep, while others had flooded basements due to heavy storms that had plagued the community. Lots of angry residents are blaming the city for the poor sewage system; however, the city disagrees.
One can't blame them for being upset. A flooded basement is very expensive to cleanup and costs around $3,000 to $5,000 to repair, depending on the extent of the damage. Of course, standard do-it-yourself is also possible, but if you can consult a professional repair company to assess the damage, all the better.
These are just things to remember for those who are planning to do it on their own:
* The Federal Emergency Management Agency, along with The Department of Emergency Management (Minnesota Public Safety) has outlined some tips about pumping out flooded basements. The basic rule is not to hurry the process. If water is pumped out too fast, certain parts of the house, such as the foundation, cellar walls, or floors, may collapse. This is because while the flood has settled, there might still be some water from the ground outside pushing against your house. If outside pressure exceeds inside pressure, structural damage may occur.
* It takes days to completely pump out a flooded basement. Each day, check if the water level outside has re-risen. If it has, then it is still not time to completely drain your basement. Keep checking everyday until the water stops rising.
* Don't do repair work in a flooded basement where the electricity is turned on, else you risk electric shocks.
* If working in an area with sewage water, make sure to visit your doctor to get tetanus shots as you are dealing with very dirty and contaminated water.
* Once the basement has been drained completely, assess the damage carefully. Depending on the damage, you may have to completely replace the walls.
* You may also want to think about having a plumber come in to install a backwater valve. These things ensure that sewage water does not re-enter your basement.
The bottom line is that a flooded basement takes a lot of labour and hard work to restore. In most cases, you may need to shell out money. However, the key thing is to take all necessary steps of precaution so that you don't cause any more damage to your basement or harm to yourself. It is always recommended to consult a professional repair company about your flooded basement before you do anything drastic.
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