Rain or groundwater below the main floor
Flooded Basement Help in Bremen, GA
Water below the main floor can come through a wall crack, a window well, a sump pit or up through the slab. This page covers basements and crawl spaces in Bremen, Waco, Tallapoosa and Temple. Dial (678) 839-7986 and tell the contractor the depth of the water, plus whether the level is still rising.
What it looks like
- Water on the floor along one wall after a long or heavy rain
- A tide line or white crust on the lower foundation wall
- A sump pit that sits full and silent, or runs nonstop
- A musty smell on the stairs that gets stronger toward the bottom
- Damp, matted insulation or a soft subfloor in a crawl space
Step out and get help if
- Water over outlets, the panel or a lit appliance in the basement: do not step in, and call 911 from upstairs or outside.
- A gas odor near the stairs, or a furnace or water heater in deep water: step outdoors and dial 911, or the gas utility.
- A gasoline pump or generator running inside the house: shut it off, get to fresh air, and call 911 if anyone feels dizzy.
- Water rising through a floor drain or carrying a sewage smell: stay out and phone your town's water and sewer office.
Why the water and the walls push on each other
A basement wall holds back wet soil. When the ground outside is soaked, the soil presses on the wall, and when the room inside is full of water, that water pushes back. The two pressures roughly balance.
That is why University of Missouri Extension warns against emptying a flooded basement in one go. Take the water out in stages and the wall gets time to adjust. A crawl space works the same way, just lower to the ground and harder to see into.
What to know in these four towns
- Rain sets the pace. Haralson County's climate page gives about 52 inches a year. The Carrollton normals show an inch or more of rain on 16.3 days a year. According to the National Weather Service, flash floods usually begin within 6 hours of heavy rain.
- Drive carefully near water. The Weather Service says 6 inches of rushing flood water can knock an adult off their feet and 12 inches can carry most cars away.
- Haralson County's climate page names February the wettest month, at 5.3 inches. A basement that stays dry all summer can still take on water by late winter.
When a wet basement is not a next-week job
Water still rising an hour after the rain stops calls for help sooner. Water above the first step does too, as does standing water you cannot see the bottom of. Wet insulation in a crawl space and soft boards in the floor above belong on the same list.
Call (678) 839-7986 with the depth, the age of the house and whether the pump is running. Keep out of the water until the power is dealt with.
Questions, answered
How serious is a wet basement on a 1 to 10 scale?
A damp patch and a musty smell on a dry day is a 2 or 3. A few inches of clear water with the power off and no gas smell is a 5 to 7. Any water touching outlets, a panel or a furnace is an 8 to 10. So are a gas smell and a pump running indoors. These go to 911 or the utility. For the middle grades, call (678) 839-7986 and give the depth.
Do I pump it all out in one go?
No. University of Missouri Extension says to pump out about a foot, wait overnight and check whether the water rises. Draining a flooded basement all at once can damage the structure, because the water inside helps balance pressure from the wet soil outside. Repeat the stages until the floor is clear.
Can I use an electric pump from the wall outlet?
Not through the home's electrical system. The same Extension article says to turn off electricity and gas before going down. It also says to use a gas-powered pump or one wired to a separate outside line. A gas pump has to run outdoors, since its exhaust is hazardous indoors.
How far from the house can a generator run?
CDC says to keep gasoline-powered generators, pumps and pressure washers out of enclosed or partly enclosed spaces. Place them more than 20 feet away from every door, window and vent, even when doors stand open. Engines used too close to a house can produce dangerous carbon monoxide.
What keeps the next rain out?
UGA's checklist wants clear gutters, with downspouts that empty 6 to 10 feet away from the foundation. It also wants a 6 to 8 mil plastic vapor barrier over the soil in a crawl space. UGA also lists sealing the crawl space and checking it for moisture leaks.
Is the same service open to Waco and Temple?
Yes. Waco and Temple homes get the same first steps. Say whether yours has a basement, a crawl space or a slab. Read the Waco notes or the Temple notes, then call (678) 839-7986.
What drives the size of a basement job
There are no prices on this site. A contractor wants to know the depth the water reached and how long it stood there. The floor, the walls and whatever was stored down there matter too.
Crawl spaces add their own questions: wet insulation, a plastic vapor barrier that has moved, and the soil under the house. Photos taken from the top of the stairs, on dry ground, give a first picture.
Pumps, wiring and the paperwork behind them
New sump pumps, rewired circuits and rebuilt walls can each raise a question at a town office. Which of the four offices handles which, and what Georgia says about contractor credentials, is on the paperwork page.