Flood Damage CleanUp Assistance - 1-800-222-6815

A flooded basement can cause you a wide range of structural and safety problems if not addressed. Pooling water can be a breeding ground for bacteria and damp walls can produce mold and spores than can cause disease. Another potential problem is that water pressure damages your foundation and leaves openings for insects to enter and take up residence in your flooded basement or walls.

Insects that are drawn to moist environments include carpenter ants, termites and silverfish. These pests are all extremely destructive and will move from the flooded basement where they gain entry through spaces in your walls and conduits that contain electrical wiring. Carpenter ants and termites devour damp rotting wood and silverfish feed on human waste. Each of these is present in abundance in a flooded basement cleanUp situation.

To avoid an insect infestation you need to secure your home and eliminate any chance of a flooded basement or cracked foundation. Have a water damage specialist perform an inspection on your home and point out the areas where work can be done. Seal all cracks with an expandable epoxy that will stretch from the inside wall to the outside wall and expand and contract with temperature changes. Install a sump pump if water doesn’t drain properly and check all current French drains and gutters to make sure that water flows in the direction it’s supposed to: away from your home.

Pools of standing water outside your home can lead to insect infestations also. Mosquitoes breed in still water and carry diseases such as Malaria, Encephalitis and West Nile Virus. Level off any areas of your property where still water accumulates after a rain storm, concentrating on portions that are nearest to your home first. Damp, heavy soil can buckle your foundation and cause cracks that can lead to a flooded basement and create entry points for insects and small animals. If you live in a rural area with a lot of trees or brush, trim back any branches that touch your home and remove any dead or rotting trees and stumps.

A flooded basement, if left unattended, will become a food and breeding source for a variety of different species. Nature has an order to it that is known as the food chain and bacteria and mold are among the lowest species on it. These organisms are a food source for insects. Insects are a food source for rodents, spiders and birds. Rodents are a food source for snakes. The water in a flooded basement will also seep into your walls and cause wood to dampen and rot. This becomes a food and shelter source for ants and termites. In other words, a flooded basement must be cleaned out and sealed off so that it doesn’t flood again. If it isn’t, you just might end up with a whole colony of unwanted roommates that are really tough to evict. Contact a water/hurricane,flood damage emergency service specialist or a pest control professional if you need help in the cleaning or exterminating process.