Leaky basements can be caused by numerous factors, but there are ways to address the issue before it escalates further.
One of the most crucial steps is ensuring that your gutters and downspouts are operating as intended. Clogged or obstructed gutters can lead to hydrostatic pressure that puts excess water onto foundation walls, potentially cracking them over time.
Install a Grated Drain Pipe
No matter if it’s just a puddle or inches of standing water in your basement, its presence can be both unsightly and hazardous to the health of you and your family. Water seeping through can damage drywall and flooring materials as well as window frames; cause mildew growth; mold development; foundation cracks may form; cause major repairs on electrical wiring systems to malfunction and lead to electrical fires in some cases; compromise foundation safety by creating an unstable environment for electrical components to function; create health risks from toxic mold growth on surfaces like cement floors and cause foundation cracking due to moisture-soaked environments in general.
One of the best ways to prevent water intrusion into your basement is installing a perimeter drain system. This network of pipes moves groundwater through your basement before flowing back out through grates.
Your drainage system becomes especially essential if your home sits on expansive soil around its foundation, as expansive soil tends to absorb moisture, pushing your basement walls inward and leading to cracks in them. By keeping gutters clear and downspouts extended away from foundation, keeping a pathway clear for water to escape the home can help avoid this scenario.
Check Your Gutters and Downspouts
Your home’s drainage system plays an integral part in controlling moisture around its foundation. Gutters and downspouts collect rainwater and channel it away from the home via gutters and downspouts, but if these channels become blocked with debris or are too short, more water could accumulate near its foundation and accumulate as a flood.
Water that collects around your foundation can seep into basement walls and cause serious issues, from erosion of the foundation itself to washing away soil and creating cracks in walls.
Begin by cleaning out your gutters, making sure to remove all leaves and twigs from both inside and outside. Check your downspouts, making sure they’re not clogged or too short; if necessary, add extensions so water reaches at least a few feet from your foundation. Finally, ensure window wells include drains to avoid puddles from forming under windows.
Check Your Grading
Leaks in your foundation following heavy rainfall can be troublesome enough, but repeated instances are even worse. Constant water accumulation puts undue strain on the walls of your basement and eventually can even cause cracks due to hydrostatic pressure that forms when moisture builds up around its base.
Idealy, your yard should slope away from the foundation of your home in order to divert rainwater, snow melt and surface runoff away from it. Unfortunately, clogged gutters or too short downspouts may prevent this from occurring and moisture may pool and leakage occur due to inadequate drainage systems.
Grading the ground around your house can help mitigate these problems, including adding exterior drainage, installing window wells that are free of cracks and debris, reinstalling interior drain system in basement, sealing existing foundation cracks to reduce risk of water leakage during heavy rain, as well as sealing any existing cracks in foundation walls to decrease the chance of water leaking in after heavy rainfall.
Install a Sump Pump
Installing a sump pump is a great way to keep water away and avoid the damage it causes to your home, so that when water accumulates it doesn’t push against basement walls and cause serious issues. Installing one will keep water at bay and stop its damage being done to your property.
Start by digging a hole for your basin and filling it with gravel, before covering its exterior with filter fabric to stop silt from clogging the pump. Install a drainpipe between your wall and rim joist as well as an emergency battery-operated sump pump in disharge pipe (please refer to pump chart for guidance)
Assure that all drainpipes are insulated and that the float switch on your pump is in working order. Consider installing a flood alarm that will sound locally or notify you by phone/data connection should your sump reach dangerous levels. Reach out to Groundworks to learn about waterproofing solutions including sump pumps – they may offer the service for installation!