A basement flood in Mississauga can come from a summer storm, a failed sump pump, a sewer backup, a burst pipe, or an ice dam in winter that sends melting snow down inside the walls. Whatever the cause, what you do in the first hour decides how much you save, how smoothly your insurance claim goes, and how much of your basement can be dried instead of torn out.
Here are the 8 steps to take right away.
1. Stay safe before anything else
Do not step into the water if it could reach outlets, extension cords, appliances or your electrical panel. If you can reach the panel from a dry spot, switch off power to the basement. If you can’t, call your electric utility and wait.
If you smell gas, leave the house and call 911 from outside.
2. Stop the water
If a pipe or water heater burst, turn off the main water shut-off valve. It is usually in the basement, near the water meter on the front wall of the house.
If water is coming up through a floor drain, it may be a sewer backup. Stop using water upstairs: no flushing, no showers, no laundry or dishwasher.
3. Know what kind of water it is
Clean water from a supply line is the least risky. Water from a floor drain, toilet or sewer backup is contaminated. Don’t touch it without rubber boots and gloves, and keep children and pets out of the basement.
4. Take photos and video first
Before you move or throw out anything, record the water level, the source, damaged walls and floors, and your belongings. Your insurance company will ask for this.
5. Call a water damage restoration company
Water keeps moving after it stops pouring in. It soaks into drywall, under flooring and into insulation within hours, and mold can start to grow within 24 to 48 hours. A shop vac and a household fan can clear the floor, but they can’t dry the inside of a wall.
Calling a restoration company first also helps your claim. We document the damage with photos and moisture readings, and we work directly with insurance companies and bill them directly.
6. Move what you can
If it’s safe, carry electronics, documents, photos and boxes upstairs. Lift furniture off wet carpet and put aluminum foil or wood blocks under the legs.
7. Don’t throw damaged items out yet
Your adjuster may want to see them. Photograph everything and set it aside in a dry place.
8. Call your insurance company
Report the loss as soon as you can and send them the photos you took. Coverage depends on your policy: sewer backup and overland flooding are often separate coverages, so ask your insurer what yours includes. Let them know Serve Kings is on the job, and we’ll work with your adjuster from there.
What we do when we arrive after a basement flood in Mississauga
Serve Kings is available 24/7, and we are on-site within 60 minutes across Mississauga. Our IICRC-certified team will:
- Find and stop the source of the water.
- Extract the standing water with commercial equipment.
- Measure moisture in your walls, floors and baseboards to find all the wet areas, including the hidden ones.
- Set up commercial dehumidifiers and air movers, and check the readings until everything is dry.
- Photograph and document every step for your insurance claim, and bill your insurer directly.
Our goal is to dry what can be dried, so you replace as little as possible.
Basement flooded right now?
Call Serve Kings Restoration at 833-837-1333, day or night. We handle water damage restoration in Mississauga, Oakville, Milton, Brampton, Etobicoke and across the GTA.
