How to Clean Concrete Basement Floor After a Flood

Basements are more susceptible to sustaining flood damage than anywhere else in the house. For starters, it’s the bottom-most part of any home. During storms, your basement will be flooded in no time without proper drainage.

A common practice among homeowners and their basement that is often deemed harmless is leaving specific components unfinished. However, it becomes dangerous when you’re in a hurricane-prone area.

What You Can Do After Your Basement is Flooded

Walls, stairs, and even floors are often left unfinished after initial construction. When raw materials are laid down without a good finish, they deteriorate much faster from water damage.

Following the laws of gravity, the water floods into the basement and settles on your floor. Still, it won’t be too complicated to sort out. As soon as it’s safe, it would be best if you started cleaning up to avoid extensive water damage and mold growth and to think about renovating the basement. In some cases, you may need to consider basement underpinning.

How to Clean Concrete Basement Floor

If you don’t know whether your floors are finished or not, check out the table below.

Unfinished: It is unfinished if the concrete is dull, rigid, and highly textured. 

Finished: It is finished if your floors appear smooth, shiny, and reflect light.

What tools you will need to clean up your floors will depend on their state before and after flooding. However, here are some general tips for cleaning concrete basement floors after a flood. Some you can do yourself, but for the final step, you will need the help of a professional.

Step 1: Drain

Whether your basement is finished or unfinished, you should have drains installed within or around your flooring. Coax any leftover water toward drains and other openings.

If you don’t have a drainage system or have clogged pipes, use towels or other absorbent materials to soak up water. If there is an extensive amount of water leftover, you will need a sump pump.

Step 2: Dry

Once you’ve gotten the puddles of water out, you need to dry up its leftover moisture. It would be best if you used a dehumidifier here. There are bigger ones manufactured for this purpose precisely.

However, if you have smaller ones lying around, use as many of those as possible. Dehumidifiers are not the same as humidifiers. Do not mistake one for the other, especially in this case.

If you don’t have one, a distant second-best option is to use dry towels to wipe off surfaces and open any windows and doors to help dry up your space. You can also use fans, blowers, and baking soda. You can leave an open box of baking soda by your window sill to help absorb moisture in the area.

Step 3: Restore

You should hire a professional. The restoration of your concrete integrations, be it walls, stairs, or floors, is not only complex but essential. Its restoration must be executed with the proper tools and necessary expertise. If you don’t have either, consider hiring someone who does.

Concrete is a fundamental component in the structure of your home. It mustn’t be compromised or damp. It’s dangerous to keep your basement wet for extended periods. It invites mold, which is costly to remedy. It is also hazardous to have mold breeding anywhere in your house. Even if you decide on locking up your basement forever, mold can get into pipes and air vents and find its way into your lungs.

Dedicate your finances to restoring concrete, wood, and other materials prone to retaining moisture. If they are not appropriately repaired as soon as possible, the state of your home will deteriorate quickly. Find a company that offers cost-efficient services with payment solutions that are most amicable to your budget. The last thing you need is unreliable contractors and workers causing more damage than the flood.

Smooth Finish

You are all set. Remember to work on your basement’s draining, drying, and primary cleaning efforts as soon as possible. The faster your can dry your space up, the easier it will be to restore. You might save more, too, if you clean up fast enough.

Don’t let the water sit unbothered for too long. It might slip through the cracks, breed mold, or soften your home’s fundaments.

Once the floor finish is complete, consider renovating the basement as a whole. We have covered the stages of basement renovation in a separate article.