One of the worst things that can happen to a basement is when it is struck by flood waters. Basements are one of the areas in a home that are mostly affected by floods. After heavy rains or snows, flooded basement is a common sight among houses in the affected area. The reason is obvious - basements are located below the ground level of a house so it is most likely where build-up waters flows.



Flooded basement needs to undergo water removal. Otherwise, it will cause damage to things inside it as well as the structure itself. However, extraction of water from the basement cannot just be done in any way. It must be done properly to ensure that the structure of the basement remains in tact. Removing water in flooded basement in an improper way may cause problems in the structure.

To remove the water in flooded basement, you must not do it at once like you would drain water in the washing machine. According to experts doing so will damage the structure of the basement. What you need to do instead, is to drain the water gradually and in a way that water from outside will not pressure the wall. The idea is that when there is no more water inside the basement, the flood outside may put too much pressure in the wall of the basement causing it to collapse. If the water in the basement stands still while the water outside the structure is still present, it will pose balance to the pressure on the wall. What you need to do then, is to ensure that water outside has already receded before you empty the flooded basement. This is to ensure that no water is pushing back against the wall from outside.

In other words, it is imperative that flooded basement needs to be emptied. However, you need to do it in a way that is suggested by the experts. Improperly removing the water in the flooded basement will cause more harm than good. You need to follow these simple tips by experts in removing the floodwater from the basement:

1. Pump the flooded basement only when the floodwaters outside has already subsided.

2. When removing the water, put the hose far enough that the water will not have the chance to come back the ground and put pressure to the structure of the basement. Do not just put the hose outside the basement window or door as water will still come back to the nearest ground.

3. If the water is severe and high, initially pump water at 1 foot level. Take note by making a mark and leave it overnight.

4. On the next day, if the water has increased from the mark that you placed, it's an indication that pumping the flooded basement would be too early and inappropriate. It means that there is still floodwater outside that is continually filling up the basement.

6. If the water has not increased the next day, remove another foot of water and mark again and leave overnight. When the water has not increased in the next day, it means that the water outside is starting to recede. Remove at least 2 feet of water then leave overnight.

Repeat the processes until the water is fully emptied. Doing this will save the structure of the basement.