If water seeps into your basement after heavy rain or snowmelt, a professional should investigate immediately as this could be evidence of hydrostatic pressure pushing moisture through walls and flooring into your living space.
If this is the case for you, there are various strategies available to you for dealing with it. First of all, have all standing water pumped off as soon as possible by hiring a pumping service.
Drainage System
Your plumbing system serves two essential roles in your home: providing fresh water to you and disposing of wastewater. However, this second task can be much more complicated as the waste that enters drains includes food particles and cleaning chemicals (both potentially dangerous if swallowed), in addition to potentially toxic substances and even unsanitary materials that could result in dire health implications and an unpleasant stench leaking into nearby sewer systems.
Drain systems are an effective way to keep water out of your house and causing damage. They collect excess moisture around foundations and channel it away to avoid basement flooding; such systems may be installed either below-ground as French drains or installed directly on basement floors as curtain drains.
Both systems consist of perforated pipes that may or may not be covered with grates; local vent stacks allow airflow through the system, helping prevent vacuum siphons that pull water out of drain traps; vent pipes also carry away offensive sewage odors from buildings.
Reshape Your Yard
Poorly designed yards can force water toward your home instead of away, increasing pressure on basement walls and increasing chances of seepage. You can mitigate this effect by redesigning your yard so it slopes away from foundation, extending downspouts, and cleaning them regularly.
Other causes of leaking basements may include changes to hydrostatic pressure, lateral pressure, foundation settling and mortar or concrete block cracking – these issues can be identified using a moisture meter and visual inspection. Once identified, Helitech can help repair it and prevent further leakage – whether simple solutions are required for more serious issues, we have expert technicians ready to recommend just the right solutions to keep you and your family safe – give us a call now for a complimentary consultation and let’s fix this leak together.
Seal Cracks
If you see wet concrete along your cold joints (the intersection between your basement floor and wall), that could indicate groundwater is entering your home. Over time, your waterproof membrane wears away allowing groundwater to seep into your basement from below – another telltale sign is efflorescences on the walls from acidic groundwater leaching lime out of cement walls to form white glittery spots – another telltale sign.
Another frequent cause of basement flooding is leaky plumbing. Sewer lines running through your basement could leak due to weak sealants or damaged pipes; water supply lines that run through can develop slow leaks over time as well. Water can also enter through cracks in walls or floors if those cracks are nonstructural.
Install a Sump Pump
Sump pumps are an invaluable way to protect your basement from groundwater seepage, keeping it dry and decreasing the risk of mold growth and other complications associated with standing water.
Locate the low spot in your yard where you would like your sump pump installed. Preferably, the land should slope away from your home in a downward fashion and towards a neighboring yard or another low area on your property.
Put an upside-down plastic sump basin onto your basement floor, using a pencil to outline its outline. Cut around it using a rotary hammer wearing protective equipment without hitting a GFCI electrical outlet located there, fill it with gravel, set your pump atop, add a check valve between its output and your house, and channel excess water away from it by installing flexible discharge hose or PVC pipe without elbows between these steps and discharge valve so as to not return into sump basin.