My basement is a mess. It started off as a fairly nice finished basement, one of the reasons we chose this home over some others, but my enjoyment of the finished basement was short-lived.
Within one year the basement had flooded 2 times resulting in the need to rip up the rug. Within the first 4 years the basement had flooded 6 times, pretty much ruining the concept of making it nice again. The previous owners clearly finished the basement just for the sale, but that is another story . . .
As you can imagine, a flooding basement creates severe damage to your belongings and we weren't spared one iota. In addition to the damaged rug, pad, tack strips, and sheetrock that needed to be hauled away, we lost much of the furniture. Anything that was unfinished wood or worse yet particleboard was ruined.
I needed to get all the ruined stuff out of my home. Wet and moldy carpet and furniture is not only lost money, but it is a severe health hazard. At the time I had infants and toddlers in the house, so removal was a top priority.
I ended up manually removing everything and throwing it in a dumpster. Many items I needed to take apart and even cut into pieces to remove them. The project was laborious and exhausting. In hindsight, I should have called any one of the removal companies in my area. I am simply too out of shape for that kind of work. Why not have well-trained and equipped people do it for you?
I also suffer from allergies, I cannot imagine how much the mold affected my health during that time. The homeowner’s association did end up installing a drain right outside our home. We haven't flooded since and I'm considering refinishing the basement this Spring. Our family of 5 could really use the extra living space. However, if we ever have the misfortune of flooding again, I am calling a removal company!
