Will 3 inches of water go away by itself in a basement?

[Disney Doll]

Just to update -

The water has completely drained from our basement. We live near a small creek which had completely flooded out our road. The water table was higher than our basement, and the water came up through the basement floor drain - the walls are bone dry. By the time we could drive out of our development this morning, all the water had receded back down the drain with no pumping, bailing, or vacuuming.

I did buy some bleach to mop the floor with in case the damp causes mold, and I'm going to open up all the windows (there are full size windows on two walls).

I don't think we're going to bother installing a sump pump - this is the first time our basement has flooded in 6 years of living here, and I'm thinking it was a one-off, as category 1 hurricanes aren't exactly annual occurences around here.

Thanks for the advice, all!

I'd throw a dehumidifier down there too.

 

[englishteacha]

If the water came in through your drain, perhaps you could get a taller pipe to put on when/if you get a flooded creek again? Then maybe the water wouldn't come up and in (or at least so much water!). I'm no expert. My house is built over an underground stream. Our basement has water in it in a drought. I just recall talking to someone who worked for a school and they had tall pipes they put over the basement drain holes when there was going to be a lot of rain. It kept the basement in the school dry so they didn't have to worry about bailing and pumping!

 

[tlbwriter]

I have read it and there is NO content coverage for basements, AT ALL.

But doesn't "limited" coverage mean, by definition, that there is SOME coverage?

 

[golfgal]

But doesn't "limited" coverage mean, by definition, that there is SOME coverage?

It is limited to large appliances, NONE of your "stuff".

 

[tlbwriter]

It is limited to large appliances, NONE of your "stuff".

So there is coverage for appliances. That doesn't seem the same as "NO coverage" to me.

 

[Dan Murphy]

From the FEMA Flood policy.......

3. Coverage for items of property in a building
enclosure below the lowest elevated floor of an
elevated post-FIRM building located in Zones A1-
A30, AE, AH, AR, AR/A, AR/AE, AR/AH, AR/A1-A30,
V1-V30, or VE, or in a basement, regardless of the
zone, is limited to the following items, if installed in
their functioning locations and, if necessary for
operation, connected to a power source:


a. Air conditioning units, portable or window type;
b. Clothes washers and dryers; and
c. Food freezers, other than walk-in, and food in
any freezer.

That is window type, not central, which is covered in the Building section, and not refrigerators, only freezers. Refrigerators are covered, but not in basement. So, for most people, contents, for below ground, generally will be limited to washer/dryer.

http://www.fema.gov/library/file;js...f&fileid=7c7d32a0-11a5-11df-921d-001cc456982e

(not to be considered insurance advice)

 

[golfgal]

Just to update -

The water has completely drained from our basement. We live near a small creek which had completely flooded out our road. The water table was higher than our basement, and the water came up through the basement floor drain - the walls are bone dry. By the time we could drive out of our development this morning, all the water had receded back down the drain with no pumping, bailing, or vacuuming.

I did buy some bleach to mop the floor with in case the damp causes mold, and I'm going to open up all the windows (there are full size windows on two walls).

I don't think we're going to bother installing a sump pump - this is the first time our basement has flooded in 6 years of living here, and I'm thinking it was a one-off, as category 1 hurricanes aren't exactly annual occurences around here.

Thanks for the advice, all!

Lucky you not having to bail water .

Several years ago we had a bad rain storm, 10" in a day. We were out of town and our sump pump turned over in the hole and stopped working. Some friends went and checked for us and we had 2" of water in our basement. They worked for DH and DH told them if they bailed the basement for us they could have extra vacation days from work . They jumped at the change so by the time we got home it was all gone. We did have to clean up the gross drywall and everything though. YUCK.

 

[timmac]

Use your garden hose to siphon out water until you can get a pump. To siphon- run water through hose to remove all air, kink hose and turn off at facet, unscrew/unkink hose and flow should reverse.

This only works if there's a location outside (e.g. in a pit, or down a hill) that is lower in elevation than the water height in the basement.

 

[golfgal]

This only works if there's a location outside (e.g. in a pit, or down a hill) that is lower in elevation than the water height in the basement.

 

[timmac]

Siphoning water out of your basement won't work if you're trying to siphon it "up" to ground level. However, if your house is situated on the top of a hill, or there's a depression in the ground someplace outside, such that you can get the other end of the hose to be at a lower elevation than your basement floor, then siphoning will work.

 

[Kellydelly]

Just to update -

The water has completely drained from our basement. We live near a small creek which had completely flooded out our road. The water table was higher than our basement, and the water came up through the basement floor drain - the walls are bone dry. By the time we could drive out of our development this morning, all the water had receded back down the drain with no pumping, bailing, or vacuuming.

I did buy some bleach to mop the floor with in case the damp causes mold, and I'm going to open up all the windows (there are full size windows on two walls).

I don't think we're going to bother installing a sump pump - this is the first time our basement has flooded in 6 years of living here, and I'm thinking it was a one-off, as category 1 hurricanes aren't exactly annual occurences around here.

Thanks for the advice, all!

You can buy a gadget that sits in the drain and doesn't allow water to flow backwards into your basement, that is what we did after our basement flooded from heavy snow melting filling up the storm drains. I would get one and you shouldn't have this problem again .

http://www.amazon.com/Gen-Wire-Spring-3FH-Flood-Guard/dp/B001AZYTDS

 

[Jeniferdwn]

When it rains heavy for a long period of time, our den, playroom and guest room flood. It is around 3 inches and we get it out with a shop vac as soon as possible. We put fans on it and dry it out as quickly as possilbe. 2 years ago, I pulled off the wall paper in that room and the walls were covered in some yucky, black mold. It took me days with a rag and Clorox to clean it and some boards ahd to be replaced. Please don't let the water sit. It will ruin your walls! Mold can be dangerous to kids and pets especially when they are playing in those areas.

 

[crashbb]

Just to update -

The water has completely drained from our basement. We live near a small creek which had completely flooded out our road. The water table was higher than our basement, and the water came up through the basement floor drain - the walls are bone dry. By the time we could drive out of our development this morning, all the water had receded back down the drain with no pumping, bailing, or vacuuming.

I did buy some bleach to mop the floor with in case the damp causes mold, and I'm going to open up all the windows (there are full size windows on two walls).

I don't think we're going to bother installing a sump pump - this is the first time our basement has flooded in 6 years of living here, and I'm thinking it was a one-off, as category 1 hurricanes aren't exactly annual occurences around here.

Thanks for the advice, all!

Sorry, I'm confused. Do you ALSO have water in your basement? You aren't the PP. Have posts been deleted?

 

[bdcp]

Sorry, I'm confused. Do you ALSO have water in your basement? You aren't the PP. Have posts been deleted?

I got it. Flightless Duck is MouseEarsJenny DH. Either mistakenly posted under the wrong account or each posted.

 

[MouseEarsJenny]

I got it. Flightless Duck is MouseEarsJenny DH. Either mistakenly posted under the wrong account or each posted.

Correct. DH was at work, DH is FlightlessDuck. I saw people telling him to start bailing now and thought I'd update.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I can't decide whether the right response is to point at my Sig (which would be ironic since I have them turned off and complain when others assume everybody sees them), or claim multiple personalities.

 

[crashbb]

I can't decide whether the right response is to point at my Sig (which would be ironic since I have them turned off and complain when others assume everybody sees them), or claim multiple personalities.

I also have signatures turned off.

I just confused me, but makes sense now.