It rains, it rains and it rains some more... What should you do if your home floods?
18.6.2016
Translation: machine translated
This year, summer is really dragging its feet. It's raining every day. In many regions, torrential rain is causing flooding in cellars and living areas. The water in the rooms needs to be pumped out and the rooms dried out as quickly as possible. Find out here what you need to do, step by step.
To keep costs as low as possible, it's important to act quickly but sensibly. When there's water in the cellar, adopting the right reaction can often limit the damage. Whether it's a burst pipe or heavy rainfall, one thing is certain: you need to react quickly.
What should you do if there's water in your cellar?
- cut off the main water supply
- cut off the power
- document the damage (take photos)
- pump out the water
- report the damage to the insurance company
- bring in a specialist company to repair the pipework - if necessary
- have the parts dried (using an electric dryer)
- sanitise the walls
- clean
Pump out the water
Before you start pumping out the water, it's essential to document the damage for the insurance - the easiest way is to take photos. To do this, place a folding metre in the water to prove the water level. For the documentation, list the damaged objects, as well as all the drying and measurements carried out. As long as the damage has not been rectified, it is essential to keep the damaged objects.
The next step is to pump out the water as quickly as possible. To do this, there's nothing like a water pump.
The next step is to pump out the water as quickly as possible.
Find the full range of water pumps here
Drying the parts
You then need to dry the room. You should leave the doors closed so it goes quicker. Dehumidifiers should be placed in the middle of the room so that the air circulates well. What's more, dehumidifiers should be regularly checked and emptied. A hygrostat shows you the progress of the drying process. When the humidity level is below 65, or even better 60%, the cellar is normally dry again. Drying a room only works, however, when the room has no insulation under the attic or when other cavities are not affected by water damage.
Air dehumidifiers can even dehumidify very large rooms.
Find our full range of air dehumidifiers here
Cleaning
With a solid/liquid hoover, you can remove any remaining water. If you then want to clean the floor with clean water, use a squeegee for the finishing touch.
Working clothes
Wearing suitable clothing and rubber boots is recommended for this work in all cases.
Find more tips on what to wear when it rains here:
Madeleine Bello
Senior Brand Communications Manager
Madeleine.Bello@digitecgalaxus.chI draw inspiration and energy from nature – whether I'm hiking, skiing in the mountains or travelling to new places. I also have a passion for photography, music, TV series and good food.