First Hour of a Wet Basement

In a nutshell

People before property, then the source, then the evidence, then the clean-up. If you keep to that order, nobody gets hurt, the flow stops sooner, and your insurer has what it needs to process a claim. Drying should start within a day to keep mould from taking hold in drywall and carpet.

Working through it

1. Look for live electricity

Water touching outlets, extension cords or the electrical panel means stay on the stairs. Call Toronto Hydro and let them cut the power.

2. Find where it is coming from

A spraying pipe: close the main valve. Water bubbling from the floor drain: everyone upstairs stops using water. Seepage at the wall: it is groundwater, and a pump or wet vac is your tool.

3. Photograph before you touch

Wide shots and close-ups, including any damaged boxes, furniture and the water line on the walls.

4. Ring your insurer early

Ask what they need and whether they send a restoration company.

5. Get the water out

Wet vac, pump or buckets. Lift soaked carpet and underlay; underlay rarely recovers.

6. Dry hard and clean

Fans, a dehumidifier and open windows if the air outside is dry. Disinfect anything sewage touched.

Clues worth noticing

• Sewage rather than clear water, which calls for gloves, boots and disinfectant.
• Any smell of gas: get out and phone Enbridge from the sidewalk.
• Water reaching the furnace burners or water heater controls.
• New cracks in the foundation walls or floor.

Signals that it needs a licensed plumber

Once the floor is dry, find out why it happened so you are not repeating this next spring. A backwater valve, a sump pump, regraded soil or a disconnected downspout may be the answer. Our basement flooding page sets out the options in order of cost.