Preventing Water Damage in Basement Storage

Plastic Storage Containers, Avoid the Floor and Alternative Storage

Jul 29, 2009

A minor basement flood can ruin stored items unless they are packed carefully.

Despite best efforts, sometimes basements flood. Whether this flood results in water damage to personal belongings or not depends on how well the items are stored. Prevent water damage from ruining items in basement storage by using plastic storage containers, avoiding the floor for storage and keeping valuable and sentimental items elsewhere.

Protect Belongings with Plastic Storage Containers

Protect personal belongings from water damage by storing them in plastic storage containers with tight fitting lids. Avoid cardboard boxes, which absorb water and leave contents exposed to water damage. Plastic will not only keep water away from important items, it will keep out rodents and other pests.

Cover items too large to fit in a plastic storage container with garbage bags. Set seasonal items like fans, artificial Christmas trees and outdoor decorations inside a large, plastic garbage bag. Pull the bag up, over the top of the item and secure tightly to close with a knot or twist tie. The plastic will repel water and protect items from dust, rodent and water damage.

Avoid the Floor for Storage to Prevent Water Damage

A basement flood doesn’t have to be severe to cause extensive water damage. An inch or two of water will ruin unprotected items that are stored directly on the floor. Utilize pallets to store plastic containers and large items a few inches from the floor. A set of shelves will also keep things high, out of the reach of minor flooding and the resulting water damage.

To store items behind closed doors for a neat appearance, use Rubbermaid plastic storage cabinets. In addition to helping prevent water damage by keeping items off the floor, many Rubbermaid cabinets have lockable doors to safely store hazardous household chemicals out of the reach of children.

Use Alternative Storage Areas to Avoid Water Damage

If the basement is likely to flood, take extra precautions to protect fragile or important items from water damage by storing them elsewhere. Fabric, paper and electronics are all likely to be ruined by flood waters. Clothing, important documents and books should be stored in plastic on a higher level of the house. Likewise, upholstered furniture and sensitive computer equipment should be stored elsewhere.

Take special care of valuable or sentimental items like wedding dresses and heirloom antiques by storing them on a higher level of the house where there is little chance of water damage from flood waters. If no other storage areas are available, carefully pack special, vulnerable items in plastic and store as high in the basement as possible.

Water damage ruins items in basement storage quickly. Prevention is important to protect belongings from water damage in a basement flood. Utilize plastic storage containers, avoid storing items on the floor and store valuable items elsewhere for the best protection.

The copyright of the article Preventing Water Damage in Basement Storage in Home Management is owned by Barb Hacker. Permission to republish Preventing Water Damage in Basement Storage in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.