You love your home, you really do, but every spring you would like to just walk away from it without a single backward glance. The reason for this seasonal change of heart? Your basement goes from being the lower level of your home to being a wading pool. You have become an expert with removing water and cleaning up the basement, but what your really want to do is prevent your flooded basement in the first place.



If you live in a damp or flood prone area then you should consider having drains and an automatic sump pump system installed in your basement. There are professional basement systems that can be installed, and while making your basement into additional living space it might not be within your budget at this point. The drain and sump pump system will remove any water that ends up in the basement, but will do nothing to prevent it from winding up there in the first place. An automatic sump pump system prevents a flooded basement by kicking in if there is a certain amount of water detected near it. This is helpful if you do not go into your basement on a daily basis or if you do not want to set up a regular sump pump whenever it becomes necessary. Remember, for a drain system to work properly, the drain screen needs to be kept as clean and clear as possible.

Air circulation in your basement will keep mold and mildew growth to a minimum. Consider installing a venting system that will pull humid air out and circulate dryer air throughout the basement. Another consideration is a de-humidifier unit, but it must be big enough to manage the entire area or it is simply not worth the expense of buying or the time to install. If your basement is prone to flooding, consider elevating all appliances that are located down there and do not store items on the floor or along walls unless it is absolutely necessary. Flooded basements are definitely not the place to store heirlooms, family photo albums and should not be carpeted. Your flooring should be as basic and easy care as possible- make sure that you have something down that will bear up to a little bit of water, especially if a flooded basement is more than occasional.

A flooded basement can be a pain, but it does not have to be the worst thing in the world. Prevent it as much of the water accumulation as possible, and make sure that you get the removal and clean up started as fast as possible. Water warps flooring, so unless your floor is concrete- you must get it cleaned up as soon as possible. Make sure that you take care of the walls or ceilings if the water effects them as well. Dry the walls as much as possible and then wipe them with a bleach solution to kill off any mold or mildew spores that are present. Do all these and you reduce the repercussions of a flooded basement throughout your house.