Foundation repair contractors want you to know that every house is subject to basement leaks. No matter how skilled your home builder was, there is bound to be a few cracks in the foundation of your home eventually, which may lead to basement leaks.
Causes for basement leaks:
- Claw Bowl Effect – This occurs when the more porous water around the house collects rainwater and ends up settling, which causes the water to settle with it causing a depression. The water then travels down this depression and pools in areas around your foundation.
- Clogged Drain – A footing drain is what you see outside of the house’s foundation and funnels water away from the house. The drain is porous and collects excess water, but if this is clogged, the waters ends up pooling either in the drain or at the entrance to the drain.
- Drainage Breakdown – This occurs when the footing drain is still clogged and the water doesn’t drain anymore, so it builds up in the backfill. If the backfill is saturated with water, this can cause hydrostatic pressure that ends up pushing the water into your basement.
Troubles of leaky basements
If a basement leaks, it can damage or ruin your carpet, building structure, and any electronic equipment you have in the room. You should keep expensive electronics off the floor to prevent any further damage. A leaky basement can also create mold problems and the costs for repairing a foundation are expensive.
How to fix basement leaks
If you find yourself in a leaky basement situation, there are a few ways to fix basement leaks. First, you should always call a professional, they will have better wet basement solutions for you and your home.
If you want to fix basement leaks yourself, the first thing to do would be to dig a six foot deep trench around the outside of your house in order to expose the foundation bricks and any pipes.
After pressure washing the bricks and letting them dry, you can then patch the cracks and install or update any necessary drainage to stop basement leaks in the future. For example, installing a french drain can be a great solution because it offers a better way to collect water.
Preventing basement leaks
If you don’t want to fix basement leaks, you should probably consider a few important preventative methods.
Be sure to clear out your gutters regularly — especially after the fall — this will make sure rainwater drains adequately from the roof of your home. Many basements leak due to sump pump issues. Prevent your sump pump from backing up by testing and inspecting it on a routine basis. Other home owners have sewer issues that lead to leaks. A blackwater valve can prevent water damage by automatically closing if the sewer backs up.
Along with cleaning out the gutters of your home, be sure to clear away any pooling water from your home after any snow or ice melts. Do this as winter comes to an end and you will have a much more enjoyable spring.
For any other preventative methods or if you have a leak, make sure you call a professional to get your basement waterproofed.
