Common and Effective Wet Basement Solutions

The only way to keep water from returning to your basement is to eliminate the source of the issue. For some flooded basements, the source can be something easily identifiable, like a busted washing machine hose or a damaged water pipe. For others, however, the source isn’t that easy to locate. That’s where you may need to do some troubleshooting. So if water continues to pool in your basement after heavy rains and you’re just unsure where to start with correcting the issue, take a look at this list of common causes and solutions to better help you put the issue to bed once and for all:

• Land grading: Many flooded basements are a result of poor land grading. For instance, rather than sloping away from the foundation, land may slope toward it – an open invitation for water intrusion. To fix this, bring in some soil and grade the land so it slopes 2 to 3 inches down for every 10 feet of land going away from your property. On a similar note, make sure that gutter downspouts are directed so water runs away from the property as well.
• Sump pump: These devices collect water via a sump basin and expel it away from your property when levels reach certain heights.
• Wall injections: Most basements experience some type of crack as the house ages. Often times, these cracks may run vertical and span the entire length of the wall, thereby forcing water that gathers on the exterior of the basement wall to creep in during periods of heavy rainfall. However, having a professional fill the crack with epoxy or polyurethane can effectively seal the crack and prevent water from entering the property.
• French drain: Perimeter drains, or French drains, are ideal for safely moving water away from your property. They’re installed on the exterior of the home where water may pool or rise after heavy rains. As they’re installed beneath the ground, it’s important to ensure that these drains don’t become clogged so they can work properly.
• Insulate/dehumidify: Basement moisture may be caused by humidity issues. The good news for these issues is that the fix is easy – homeowners can either purchase a dehumidifier for the basement or have it insulated.
• Exterior waterproofing: Basement wall cracks aren’t just fixable from the inside, but from the outside as well. This normally takes a little bit of excavation in order to reach the affected basement walls, but it’s usually an effective, viable solution to water entry.

As is the case with any type of water intrusion, it’s first important to identify the source. After that is done, then the proper steps can be taken to prevent repeat basement flooding.