With all of the rain that the Denver Metro has experienced in the last few weeks (16 out of the last 18 days to be exact) we are receiving a lot of requests for restoration contractors to remove water from flooded basements...and we've heard that local supply stores are running low on both sump pumps and wet vacs.
In the hopes that this isn't too late for you to prevent water damage to your lower level, we did a little research and came across this good tutorial from WikiHow that we hope you will find useful to prevent future flooding, and to keep your family safe in the case that your Colorado basement does flood.
1. Focus on prevention. Long before you're in a flooding situation, look around your property for ways to divert rainwater away from your home. Important considerations are extending rain gutter down spouts away from your home and making sure the grade of your yard surfaces slope away from your home.
2. Clean the rain gutters in the spring and after all the leaves have come down in the fall. Blocked gutters will cause all of the roof water to dump directly against your foundation, increasing the likelihood of basement flooding.
3. Extend the rain gutter downspouts well out and away from your home. Do not connect the downspouts to your foundation footer drain tiles or to underground dry wells. This will only cause the roof water to further saturate the ground and cause flooding in your basement.
4. Walk around outside in your yard during a heavy rainstorm. Watch to see if water is ponding next to your home and if surface water is being directed toward your home. If this is the case, seek a local landscaper or excavation contractor for advice on ways to regrade your yard so the surface water is directed away from your home.
5. Provide emergency power. Install an automatic emergency generator to provide electric service for essential circuits like your furnace or electric heat, well pump, refrigerator, septic tank pump and sump pump in the case when power is lost. Without emergency backup power, you may return home to unnecessary basement flooding, frozen water pipes and a flooded septic tank.
6. Install a sump pump. An automatic sump pump should help keep water leakage normal amounts of rainfall from building up in the basement. As long as the sump pump tank has an opening in the lid, the sump pump will act like a huge floor drain and keep the water from getting deep.
7. Install a backup sump pump. The sump pump is your first line of defense against basement flooding. However, the most reliable sump pump available in the industry is still a mechanic device and can fail. A backup sump pump system, preferably with at least a battery-operated pump, configured with a switch device to begin working if the main is out of commission, greatly reduces the chance of flood. Some systems come with additional security features such as an alarm that goes off whenever the battery operated is started.
8. Make an emergency family plan. Plan ahead with your family so that everyone has each other cell phone and other contact numbers. If you live in an area that is prone to historic flooding, plan ahead of time where you'll be able to stay until flood waters subside. Keep in mind that all your neighbors will probably need housing too. As local hotels are usually inundated during flooding events, try to arrange ahead of time with some local family members away from the flooding area to have temporary housing if ever needed.
9. Have flood insurance. Add flood insurance onto your existing homeowner's policy. Flood insurance is provided by the government and is fairly inexpensive. In the USA, if your home insurance agent does not provide flood insurance, contact FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) for local agencies that do.
Learn more about Flood Mapping in Colorado.
Other prevention strategies you might want to consider, according to WikiHow - make sure and check with a specialist if you are not sure if/how to implement any of these ideas:
- Put a vent or hole in the the basement wall where where flooded water can flow out such as by the basement windows. This can lower the cost of your flood insurance.
- Install a check valve for backup sewer. Flooding does cause street sewer lines to back up, and could lead back into your home!
- You can help prevent basement water problems by keeping your rain gutters clean, extending rain gutter downspouts and other routine maintenance.
- Where the sump pump is, try making the hole deeper so it will collect longer before it floods out onto the floor where your plasma TV is.
- Be aware that weather isn't the only cause. Make sure your plumbing is good. Make sure your pipes don't leak or burst.
Need a contractor recommendation? Let us know!
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