How to Dry Out a Damp Basement After a Flood

Shut off the electricity to the basement from the main breaker box. If the main breaker is located in the basement, call the electric company for assistance before entering the basement.

Open all doors and windows that lead to the basement to provide additional ventilation.

Remove all furniture, appliances, curtains, and all other portable objects from the room.

Remove any standing water from the floor of the basement by using a bucket, or a submersible pump if the water is more than one foot deep. When most of the water has been removed, use a wet/dry vacuum to suck up any remaining water on the floor.

Remove the carpeting, if present, from the floor. Place a crowbar against the baseboard at the edge of the floor and pry it loose. Grasp the carpet and pull it up with your hands to remove it. Remove the carpet pad from under the floor as well. Place the carpet and the carpet pad in an outdoor location that receives full sunlight to dry.

Plug in fans and position them around the interior of the basement to circulate the air. Place the fans on top of bricks to prevent them from touching the moist floor. Since the electricity in the basement is turned off, you will need to use extension cords that extend to another part of the home. The fans must run constantly until the basement dries out which can take up to a week.

Place a dehumidifier inside the basement and plug it in to remove moisture from the air. While the fans provide good air circulation, they only recirculate moist air. Thus, a dehumidifier is needed to remove the moisture so that the basement will dry out. Just as with the fans, leave the humidifier on until the basement dries out. Check the humidifier' water collection tank every two to three hours and pour out the water.