Experiencing leakage into your basement during or after heavy rainfall? It could be the result of multiple issues which need to be addressed immediately; standing water can contribute to mold and mildew growth, rot and even further compromise the foundation of your home.
Hydrostatic pressure is often responsible for basement floor drain clogs. To address this, make sure gutters and downspouts are kept clear, with at least six-foot downspout extensions from your house.
Hydrostatic Pressure
Soil that has been saturated can become denser, exerting pressure on walls below grade that support foundations, which may then bow, crack, or heave under this stress allowing water and moisture into your basement. Waterproofing and foundation repair techniques may reduce hydrostatic pressure.
Water can enter a basement through windows, vents or the cove joint where the floor meets the wall – often through window wells that have improper drainage systems that clog up with debris and become infiltrated by rainwater.
Clogged gutters can overflow, creating standing water around the house and leading to hydrostatic pressure. To address this, gutters should be regularly cleaned out and downspouts extended so that water flows away from foundation. Installing a drain tile system may also help alleviate hydrostatic pressure by collecting rising water and diverting it through to a sump pump – this solution may be installed both inside or outside your home.
Clogged Gutters
Gutters and downspouts are designed to channel rainwater away from a home’s foundation, but when they become clogged they become ineffective at doing this job, leading water to overflow and pool around its foundation, leading to soil saturation which causes basement flooding.
Overflowing gutters can also contribute to wood rot and mold growth in your home, which not only damages its siding but poses health hazards for you and your family. Furthermore, rotting wood provides food sources for termites and carpenter ants who will feed off it over time, leading to major structural damages over time.
Clean your gutters regularly and extend downspouts further from the house to help avoid problems with them. In addition, add another downspout on that run of gutter to act as backup should one get blocked up – an inexpensive DIY project which could save money over time!
Grading Issues
If your basement floor drain or bathroom drain in the house are filling up with water and possibly sewage during heavy rainfall, regular drain cleaning services should be scheduled. Tree roots have an affinity for moisture and can find their way into drainage systems and cause backups during stormy periods.
If the ground around your home does not slope away from its foundation properly, you could have a property grading issue. Water could accumulate near its base and form a trough or clay bowl near it that allows mold and rot to flourish in an unhealthy environment.
To address this problem, install an interior perimeter basement drain system connected to a sump pump that collects rising moisture and expel it away from your house. In addition, window well covers can prevent debris such as leaves from getting into drains and creating backups. If your home is experiencing these issues, it is crucial that they are addressed as quickly as possible in order to prevent costly and irreparable damage to it.
Window Wells
Window wells are small cut-out spaces around basement windows designed to let light and air into basement living areas below ground level, protecting them from damage while offering an emergency escape route should a fire breakout occur.
Installed and maintained correctly, gutters do an outstanding job at diverting water away from your foundation and keeping it flowing freely. However, like any component in your home they require routine upkeep in order to function correctly.
Standing water near your basement floor drain is a sure sign that its drainage system is malfunctioning, leading to issues from unpleasant odors to mold growth and flooding, not to mention mosquitoes and rodents making your home inhabitable for your family. A gurgling noise coming from the drain itself could also indicate this blockage; trapped waste being forced upward by rainfall causes this.