<p>Our basement had severe flooding from the hurricane. We have cleared everything out but the smell is really bad. The whole basement has already been taken down to the bare bones and we now have cement floors and cinder block walls. The problem is that the windows do not open in the basement so we are not getting good air flow. The fans are running and I have washed everything down with diluted bleach. When I step outside for a while, and walk back in the house, the smell makes me want to run. So what could we do to dry it out faster and prevent mold from growing. How long does it take to dry out? If there are any suggestions to dry out faster please let me know. </p>
<p>You are doing everything right. I took out walls to the frame, got carpet out, and used bleach daily. I ran fans all the time. A dehumidifier would have been better, but not available.</p>
<p>Ditto the dehumidifier. We had a very small amount from a window well, but it still was very damp. We have the dehumidifier running and it has helped already.</p>
<p>If they are available, have a professional do the clean-up. Your insurance should cover the cost. The only thing worse than a wet basement is a leaking roof.</p>
<p>Thankyou…I never even thought of a dehumidifier…I guess I am too busy getting rid of wet stuff to think clearly. I will make some calls today to try and find one. I know the stores are out of everything else related to the storm and water, but maybe we could even rent one for the time being.</p>
<p>If you can’t find one you can put a lot of baking soda in a kitty litter or other small flat pan at least until you find one. It will help but the pan will get very heavy.</p>
<p>A dehumidifier is the best…have read about using pans of charcoal as well. Try googling this problem. Check your local hardware store for a product called Damp Rid. Works similar to a dehumidifier as well- just doesn’t use electricity!</p>
<p>You can buy dehumidifier by mail order, but the shipping cost is going to be high. try to buy it on ebay or amazon with free shipping.</p>
<p>I had the same problem, I ran mine 24/7 year round, they brake down every 5~7 years. I poke a hole on top of the water tank and run a garden holes into the sink so it does not have to be emptied every day.</p>
<p>Caution too that many dehumidifiers use a lot of electricity. Beware your next electric bill. If your insurance will cover the cost, I’d go with the professionals. They have the commercial grade equipment to take care of the odor.</p>
<p>We had a flood in our bathroom, my son who has Down Syndrome made a swimming pool out of the shower, long story. Anyway, the insurance company paid for the repairs and used industrial strength fans to dry out the area. You may want to check with them to see what is covered. They were able to get in to do the repairs quickly but we were an isolated incident, not like in your situation where probably there are probably many in the same shoes as you.</p>
<p>We have a commercial grade dehumidifier going in our crawlspace now. They will also spray for mold, mildew. However, we have flood insurance with a $2000 deductible. If you don’t have flood insurance (do you?)and just have homeowners insurance, I wonder if insurance will cover? Not sure how that works.You sound like you are doing the right things. Getting a dehumidifier, keeping fans going should help. Good luck.</p>
<p>Maybe…maybe not. If you have standard homeowners…it is very unlikely that anything related to flooding from the hurricane will be covered. Read your policy to find out.</p>
<p>You might want to call around to areas near you that perhaps didn’t get as much rain as your area…if that is within an hour or so drive. Perhaps you will find a dehumidifier there.</p>
<p>In my experience, it takes more than one bleach/water washing to get rid of these smells.</p>
<p>Yes, damp rid is great. Have used it in other situations. I was thinking that your local places may be out of damp rid too. In a pinch charcoal or baking soda in a pan will work as a substitute for the dehumidifier or the damp rid.</p>
<p>We have a heater (very powerful) that I use in my office. Do you think it would be wise to turn that up high in the basement along with the fans running?</p>
<p>Does anyone have real experience with companies that handle flood restoration? What exactly would they do? I’m sure they would put in dehumidifiers but anything else? We have good airflow down there now because we had someone come to remove 2 windows and replace with screens for now. The idea of mold is very concerning and although I am bleaching and scrubing everything down I want to be sure there is no mold when all of this is over. </p>
<p>This is such a pain in the neck…first we removed everything before the storm (that stuff is sitting all over my main floor) and then we bailed out all night waiting for the power to turn back on so the pump could do the job…followed by pulling down walls and flooring. This has been non stop work and we are getting pooped.</p>
<p>You state the basement windows don’t open. Where is the airflow going? The fans won’t help unless they are directing the damp air out of the basement (moving it around in the basement won’t do anything). A dehumidfier is routine here- run it in the summer, shut it off in the winter (my old one was flooded, cleaned it and it worked again). Chemical dehydration with Damp Rid et al until you can get a dehumidifier sounds useful. After you dry out the basement kill all of the molds again with your bleach solution.</p>
<p>The flood restoration companies are very expensive. If your only concern is dampness in your basement, you may be able to handle it yourself. We HAD to have professionals because our issues were in our crawlspace in our 1920’s colonial. The crawlspace is very very tight. We had water damage but also ductwork,electrical, insulation damage,etc. The other guys cannot replace the ductwork,insulation until the water issues are resolved and the crawlspace is dry.We have flood insurance but have a $2000 deductible. It is very important to see if your insurance will cover and what your deductible would be before you think about calling in the pros.</p>
<p>There is controversy about heating up damp areas. Heat can accelerate mold growth in some circumstances. Experts told me not to add heat in the absence of the super de-humidifiers. There are mildew and mold retardant sprays that could be applied after cleaning. Powerful fans and dehumidifiers are used in tandem by the restoration companies. Damp Rid could be useful, but if you have a large volume of area, you will need a lot of it. I believe I read somewhere once that the ingredient it is made out of can be purchased in bulk for a more reasonable cost and in this case, it might make sense. You would need a large number of containers for most basements. Internet research may give you this answer.</p>
<p>I would be most concerned about mold growth and research products in addition to bleach that all those surfaces could be sprayed with once they are clean. There is a difference between removing existing mold and preventing future mold. The restoration companies use a spray to prevent mold. Also, for cosmetic use, there are odor neutralizing sprays that might help with the damp smell. They have worked for other things for me, but have not tried it with a wet basement. Sorry for your troubles, this is a very exhausting process.</p>