Towels, towels there are not enough towels!
"ASK JOE" he will know "DUMB QUESTION" from Tonya in Farmington Hills:
"Joe, HELP!! I’m going to be having a HUGE Super Bowl party at my home this year and I’m really stressed out! Instead of snow this year we got rain, rain and more rain. The recent rain storms that seemed to last forever have found their way into my basement for the first time since we moved in 5 years ago and I have no idea where it came from. We soaked it up with a ton of towels and used a wet/dry vacuum to soak it up and it appears to look fine, however, it is starting to smell really bad and I’m really worried something is wrong. OMG! Where is the smell coming from? It’s horrible!! Should I do something more? And how can I prevent this from happening again?” Really sad :(
Answer for Tonya in Farmington Hills:
I’m so glad you asked this question; a lot of people are in the same position this year. The answer isn’t exactly simple, but with the right information and a little effort your Super Bowl party should go on as scheduled with no worse smells then chicken wings and nachos! :)
Using towels and a wet/dry vacuum is a logical solution in cases when you have concrete floors and walls. However, the horrible smell you mention makes me suspicious? Keep reading.
First, where did the rain enter the basement? Was it the floor drains? Was it the sump pump? Or did it come in from the perimeter of the basement walls? If it came from the floor drains, the technical term is "Black Water" (basically considered "crappy" water!). If it came from the sump pump, the technical term is “grey water” (typically clean water). The good news is, both sewer and sump pump back-ups are a limited coverage insurance loss with a proper insurance Rider called, “Sump and back-up coverage”. That is a question for your insurance agent. The not so good news: if the water was around the perimeter of the basement walls this policy will not help you. Ground water is generally a foundation problem and insurance coverage will not protect you even with a Rider. Check out the foundation tips on our website www.restoreitright.com to try and prevent ground water from entering your basement.
Now, is your basement finished with carpet, drywall, trim molding and doors? I suspect at the very least, you had carpet and that is the culprit that is producing the smell. This happens when all the water was not removed. It only takes 72 hours of carpet and drywall being wet for the water to go from “clear” safe water to “black” dangerous water, no matter where it came from. Now, here is where it really gets smelly. After 72 hours you have to remove and discard carpet, pad, base molding, drywall and any wet insulation. It sounds like you are past your 72 hours and towels will not soak up your problem. The basement will likely need to be dried down professionally with commercial dehumidifiers, and air movers and sprayed with an antimicrobial in order to prevent future bacteria or mold growth in the future. I know, what a pain in the butt! The good news is that there are people to help you and you are not alone with this problem. So, Tonya, put the towels back in your linen closet & call Constructeam 24/7 if you have an emergency so we could help you soak up this problem.
This was a long answer, but an awesome question that we get a lot.
And remember at "Ask Joe" He will know, there is never a "DUMB" question, but always a "SMART" answer! - Joe