Water damaged basements
There are fewer things more annoying than arriving home to a flooded basement, or taking the stairs to the lower level and discovering standing water everywhere and not knowing what to do. 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 water damaged basements occur for the first time, it is important to work out if the water issues are going to happen again or whether it was a one-off occurance. To answer this question we must first find the source of the water damage. 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. Groundwater in water-saturated soils being pushed into the basement by hydrostatic pressure can also cause major issues. 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 help eliminate, or at least reduce the risk of water damage due to water entering the basement follow these 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 specialist needing to be hired.
- Inspect your homes gutter systems often and remove any debris to prevent blockages.
- If you live in an area with trees that continually shed their leaves, purchasing gutter shields could be a worthwhile 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 door and windows for cracked or missing caulking and replace as needed.
- Check for damage or deterioration around the flashing at chimneys, skylights, vents and other junctions.
- Are there any hills sloping down toward the house 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.
- Investigate your gardens irrigation systems to make sure you are not over watering and causing excessive run-off towards the foundations? Avoid placing lawn irrigation next to the house.
Tags: flood damage, flooded basement, mold damage, Water damage, water damaged basement