WREX.com – Rockford’s News LeaderExpert advice for people cleaning up wet basements

Expert advice for people cleaning up wet basements

By Katie Nilsson

ROCKFORD (WREX) - Dozens of basements took on water after this past weekend's storms and if you're dealing with that, there are some things to keep in mind when drying everything out.

Rockford's LDR Cleaning and Restoration says the first thing you'll want to do is get rid of any standing water in your home.  After that, LDR's Cleaning and Mitigation Supervisor Jim Gryder suggests running a dehumidifier and getting some powerful fans going.  "You can't just put a fan on it; you also need to use a dehumidifier."

If you have a finished basement that got wet over the weekend Gryder advises that you shop vac the carpet right away.  Your carpet may be able to be saved but after 96 hours of being wet, Gryder says the pad underneath it is no good.  "You really can't remove water from the pad with a shop vac so if you're shop vacing carpet you're really not pulling it from the pad; you're just pulling it from the carpet."

Gryder says if your baseboards are wet chances are the drywall behind it is too.  While you can try to dry that out yourself, it isn't recommended.  "You can't physically feel that drywall and know its dry, you need a meter, so that's where the professionals come in to be able to tell people that yes, your walls are dry or no your walls are wet."

Not getting everything completely dried can create problems in the future, like weak drywall and mold.  Gryder says it can take days for a basement to get totally dry.  "You should probably have a professional come look at it before you're done drying it yourself so then you can know if you've done it properly."

If mold does grow in your home Gryder says you'll have to rip out every area it covers because that's the only way to get rid of it.  Several disaster restoration companies in Northern Illinois are really busy right now, but say they are ready if anyone needs them.