Water in your basement after heavy rainstorm is not a common occurrence and should be immediately addressed. Whether caused by foundation cracks or window well clogs, any issues must be quickly addressed to prevent lasting structural damage to your home.
One solution to the issue would be grading your yard so it slopes away from the foundation of your house, while another would be making sure your gutters are clear and draining correctly.
Causes
Hydrostatic pressure is often to blame when water seeps into a basement after heavy rainstorms, creating hydrostatic pressure in the soil which then pushes moisture through hairline cracks in walls and floors of basements poured with concrete or block foundations, leading to bowing walls due to hydrostatic pressure. This issue becomes especially troublesome with concrete block foundations where this pressure may cause walls to bow inward due to pressure applied.
This constant back and forth movement can exacerbate existing wall cracks or cause new ones to form, increasing the risk of water leakage. Furthermore, constant pressure could eventually cause it to crack and crumble over time.
Another frequent cause of basement leaks during and after heavy rainfall is due to malfunctioning sump pumps. Sump pumps are designed to pump excess groundwater and surface runoff away from a home’s foundation, keeping it dry and preventing basements from becoming swamps. Their failure can be due to overflowing or clogged gutters or improper grading around its foundation that does not divert it properly away from it – both factors which contribute to leaky basements.
Symptoms
Basement issues such as seepage, leakage, mold and mildew are incredibly prevalent and keep home inspectors and waterproofing contractors very busy. No matter where it appears — in floor drains, window wells or through walls — water must always be treated as serious evidence that requires appropriate action to remedy.
Expansive soil and hydrostatic pressure are often at the root of basement leaks during heavy rain. Rainwater soaks through to saturated ground around foundations, forcing expansionary pressure against wall surfaces that widen existing cracks while simultaneously creating new ones over time.
Good drainage is vital to keeping your basement dry. Make sure that the yard slopes away from your house, and frequently clear your gutters to remove debris accumulation. Also consider installing a drain tile system which directs water flow around rather than into your foundation – this is an effective solution to stop leaks in heavy rainfall conditions.
Repairs
After heavy rainfall has caused your basement to flood, the initial step should be clearing away water before addressing underlying problems such as foundation cracks or frost-heaving that require extensive structural repairs that could prove expensive.
Other common sources of basement flooding include clogged gutters and downspouts, hydrostatic pressure, clay-heavy soils that expand when wet, damaged window wells and cracked cove joints. All these factors can lead to moisture seeping into the basement through cracks in walls, floor joints or cove joints and cause water seepage into cracks in walls or floor joints resulting in flooding of basement.
When your basement leaks, it is essential that a professional assess the damage and determine how best to address it. Some repairs will be simple such as installing moisture barriers in walls; other will involve more complex measures, like using jackhammers to break up concrete floor or backhoes to dig out and replace dirt around foundation walls.
Prevention
Prevention is much simpler than repair; by taking measures such as fixing gutters and window well issues, poor grading/soil expansiveness/foundation cracks/clutter, you can help ensure that your basement remains protected during rainy conditions.
Hydrostatic pressure is one of the primary reasons for basement water leaking in, typically caused by rainwater seeping into the soil around your home’s foundation and then seeping back out through cracks that cannot be seen with naked eyes. When this happens, hydrostatic pressure forces moisture through walls and floors – often through undetectable hairline cracks – into your basement space.
To avoid this problem, ensure your grading slopes away from your home’s foundation and regularly clear gutters to clear away debris and clogging to ensure rainwater drains away smoothly and away from its target – your foundation. Otherwise, leaky basements will only get worse over time without proper fixes being addressed immediately.