Toronto is a four-season weather city, and you will experience rain, shine, or snow. The city of Toronto website offers an informative page on basement flooding prevention video series, causes for basement flooding, what to do when your basement floods, how to report a flooded basement, how to reduce the risk of basement flooding, as well as what the city is doing to prevent basement flooding.
The following will introduce you to cases and prevention tips for basement floods, where you can book to stay in a short-term rental if your basement requires renovations, and more.
Short-Term Rental
Did you just get hit with a big storm and now your basement to flooded? Need to go to work or school the next day and your home basement is currently being renovated? No need to worry about temporary housing. Stay with us here at Avalon Suites Toronto. Close to amenities like the public transit system, Universities like the University of Toronto St. George campus and Ryerson University, and big corporate home offices like TD, RBC, CIBC, and the Toronto stock exchange, we are a convenient temporary relocation if you are looking to stay in the Yorkville-Bloor neighborhood.
To learn more about Avalon Suites, look at our website.
What to Do
An unexpected home basement flood can cause panic, stress, and a sense of helplessness. The most important thing to remember is at the first signs of a basement flood, turn off all electricity and gas. You may even call an electrician to help you.
If your home laundry room is in the basement, make sure to remove all laundry detergents, cleaning supplies, and other liquid items you would not want to contaminate your floor water with.
If possible, try to air out your basement, dispose of drywall, insulation, paper products, boxes, and other spoiled items, by the sewage or flood water. Better to replace than to let mold in the basement as you are to assess the situation.
Best to call a 24/7 emergency basement floor response team near the Toronto area that can assist you in the process.
Basement Restoration
If your home basement has just been flooded and ruined, you may want to take this chance to do a home renovation, whether it be just your basement, or even your kitchen and bathroom as well, we offer more information on our blog Everything to Know about Home Renovations Short-term Stay in Toronto.
But any simple tips we can give you here include renovating your flooded basement into a second home. Especially if you have a kitchen or bathroom space as well, a furnished basement allows you to rent it out as a second home and the income form that can be used to pay off your mortgage or utilities bills. Other ideas for basement renovations include a home gym, work office, theater, children's playroom, or family recreational room. For more basement renovations information, check out Where to Start in Your Home Renovation Project.
Causes for Basement Flooding
There are several reasons why your basement may flood. Toronto is home to older-style Victorian homes and those that are not properly maintained for four-season weather. Such as if there was a recent storm, rain and groundwater can seep into the basement due to a drainage failure at street level. This can be due to a crack or leak in your current home’s foundation, basement walls, or basement windows or door, poor lot grading or drainage, failure of the weeping tile system (foundation drain), or sump pump in some homes, or even leaking or plugged downspouts. Make sure to check your home annually for these damages to prevent a basement flood.
Reducing Basement Flooding
Homeowners need to be attentive to their home's leaks and cracks and ensure their home is not in immediate danger of a basement flood if it rains in Toronto. Take proactive actions, rather than reactive ones. The city of Toronto offers several home basement flooding prevention videos that you can watch anytime, and as often as needed.
For inside the house, look to waterproof the basement, seal cracks or leaks in the wall, floor, foundation, clear downspout of leaves for better drainage, and repair or replace damaged weeping tile systems
For inside the house, you may hire a licensed plumber to look at the plumbing from the property line, it is working in good condition, and ask how you can continue to maintain them. You can install a backup power source for your sump pump, prevent clogs by throwing sanitary products, and “flushable wipes in the trash instead of flushing, or hire that city license inspector.
Sump pumps help pump water collected by the weeping tile system to an area outside. Sump pumps can lose power during severe storms, so you may wish to consider a battery backup. It should be inspected and maintained to ensure efficiency throughout the year.
Avalon Suite Yorkville
If you are living in Toronto or Greater Toronto are and experienced a recent basement flood and need a place to stay, book with us here at Avalon Suites Yorkville. Both a short commute by public transit and by car, Avalon is strategically located to place you only several minutes from your current home, corporate office, health services, and universities.
Avalon suites offer Economy suites for one person to a Presidential suite accommodating up to five people, there is sure to be one best suited for you and your family. Stay in Avalon Suites with more than 2x the space than a hotel room, decorated with modern furniture, a fully equipped kitchen, Cable Smart TVs, and an in-suite washer and dryer. Furthermore, guests have access to conference space, fitness center and gym, and concierge services.
If you are looking for local restaurants to try out while staying with Avalon, check out our blog best Restaurants for Take-Out Near our Short-term Rentals. Or if you are looking for local tourist attractions in the Yorkville area, check out our blog Things to do Around Bloor-Yorkville.
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