Basement Flooded from Storm

We had a freak storm with high winds that blew rain down the basement stairs, it filled up the stairwell, then flooded the basement. 

 Woah! It was NOT a fun weekend.

We bravely tried to use shop vacs and suck all the water out. After several hours, and about 20 gallons of water later, the carpet was still soaked. It was no longer floating - but it still was sopping wet. 

 We called a disaster cleanup company, but they wouldn't bring out their water extraction equipment because they were so busy with everyone else that was damaged from the storm.  

They only had time to tear out the carpet and the pad. I'm NOT paying someone $1000 to tear out the carpet and the pad. I'll do it myself!! 

Hubby and I and the teenagers spent the morning cutting up the carpet and pad into strips and hauling it out. There was so much water still left in the carpet and pad, that there was a small river running out the back of the truck! 

Crazy stuff!

We use the basement- A LOT!! That's where the teenagers and their friends hang out, eat pizza and play video games. They are VERY anxious to have the basement fixed so they can reclaim that area.

 But NOT SO FAST!! 

We learned that although the concrete floor may LOOK dry, it can still be wet. We went to our local hardware store and bought a Moisture Meter. It was only $29. It can tell you how dry the area REALLY is. The level was 16.3 - its come down a little bit as it was over 20 when we first started checking the floor. 

But the moisture level in the concrete needs to be below 5 for wood (and I think it's below 9 for concrete)

What happens if we're in a hurry and we put the carpet down now and the cement is still wet? 

We will have a mildewy stinky basement.

I am NOT a patient person, but I AM waiting for this. 

I want to do it right. 

                  I want the moisture level down where it should be before we re-carpet. The last thing we need with asthma is a wet, mildewy basement. 

           So, I will continue to wait.....and check the floor with the meter every day after work. I already have my eye on some gorgeous new carpet for the basement. 

                                            While I'm waiting, maybe I should paint the walls..hmmmmm