Did you recently have flooding in your basement, and now you're wondering how to protect your home from mold damage? It will help to act quickly and follow these tips to clean it up and reduce the chance of mold growth.

Protect Yourself

It's important that you take safety precautions when you are dealing with a flooded basement. You should start by making sure that the electricity going to your basement is shut off because you don't want to risk electrocuting yourself due to a submerged electrical line. You'll also want to wear an N95 face mask or respirator so that you do not breathe in anything harmful, such as bacteria.

Remove The Water

The next step is going to be to remove as much water as possible from your basement. This will involve using a submersible pump to get the water out of your home by running a hose to the outside. It's important that you do this quickly since water can absorb into drywall above the flood line in a finished basement. 

Remove Damaged Materials

You should be removing drywall that is about a foot above the flood line to ensure that there is no moisture left behind in the material. You'll also need to start removing material that is damaged beyond repair, such as carpeting. If it cannot be restored, it needs to be removed and thrown away.

Dry Out The Area

It's crucial that you start drying out the space to get rid of the moisture. You'll need to get air circulating by bringing in fans that can move the moisture out of the space. Open your windows if possible, bring in a powerful dehumidifier, and do what it takes to make things dry. 

Perform A Moisture Check

The best way to determine if things are dry is to perform a check with a moisture meter. You can actually use this on the wood used for the framing to determine if there is moisture trapped inside. If so, you should continue circulating air so that the building material can get as dry as possible.

Contact A Professional

Now that you have done everything you can to help mitigate the damage, you should contact a water damage restoration company to do the rest of the work. They will help ensure that mold growth is not going to occur in your basement by treating surfaces, as well as help with restoring damage so that your home can be how it once was.