Water damaged basements

Not many things can be as disruptive to a home owner than arriving home to a basement water loss, or taking the stairs to the lower level and discovering mold damage all around and feeling helpless. The damage can be quite extensive ranging from wet carpets or worse, damaged hardwood floors and water damaged walls. Soaked belongings can likewise be destroyed particularly if the water damage has been going on a long time prior to being found and valuable items like family heirlooms and photo albums will just make matters worse. But knowing the causes of wet basements and how to prevent water damage can help avoid this frustration.

In order to fix a basement that’s experienced water damage and help prevent it from happening once more it’s it important to know the origin of the water loss. When homeowners experience wet basements for the first time, it is imperative to determine if the water problems are going to reoccur or if it was a one-time event. Essential to solving this question is determining where the water is coming from. In well populated areas there are various sources of water that can enter a basement and cause damage, firstly after a storm surface water can run down foundation walls and then into the basement. Secondly groundwater in already water-logged earth can be pushed into the basement by water pressure and can also cause huge problems. Storm sewer water from the municipal storm sewer system can back up into the home’s existing perimeter foundation drain and leak into the basement. Although this can only happen if the perimeter foundations drain system is connected to the municipal sewer system. Lastly sanitary sewer water from a combined municipal storm/sanitary sewer system backing up into the home’s drain system, can cause sewer water to come up through sink drains and floor drains on lower levels.

To prevent, or at a minimum lower the chance of water related problems due to water entering the basement here are a few handy tips:

• Water found in basements and under a house can be indicative of a plumbing leak or unacceptable drainage, which can result in structural issues and mold problems which could force the fact that amold technician needing to be hired.
• Inspect your homes gutter systems often and remove any debris to prevent blockages.
• If your home is in an area with a lot of trees that loose their leaves, purchasing gutter guards could be a time saving investment.
• Your downspouts should protrude several feet out from your homes foundation in order to carry rain water away from your house. If they don’t, you can purchase extensions that attach to your downspouts.
• Check where the gutters meet the stucco on the outside of you home, sometimes builders don’t stucco behind the gutter end piece correctly and water could be pouring into your home without you knowing.
• Fill in any low spots around the house and amend any cracked paved areas or paving that slopes towards the house so water drains away from the foundation.
• Inspect caulking around windows and doors and replace as needed where cracked or deteriorated.
• Check for damage or deterioration around the flashing at chimneys, skylights, vents and other junctions.
• Check the grade of the earth around the house to determine if it slopes towards or away from the house as that may be the source of the water? If this is the case, a civil engineer may be required to analyze the situation and determine the appropriate solutions.
• Is there a lawn/shrub irrigation system discharging too much water next to the house? Avoid placing lawn irrigation next to the house.