As we enter spring, otherwise known as the thaw and rainy season, homeowners should be vigilant about checking their basement for any wet spots or flooding—especially as we all are spending a lot more time indoors. A damp basement gone unchecked can cause expensive water damage and encourage dangerous mold to start growing. Plus, a wet basement is one of the first clues to there being something amiss with your foundation.
Here’s a few reasons why your basement may be wet:
There’s bad exterior grading.
The ground around your home should be diverting water away from your home, not towards it. However, over time the compacted soil around the foundation will naturally erode or shift, especially if it was not installed by experts. It’s important to be vigilant about checking the ground around your home and any window sills to make sure it’s not caving in and encouraging water to seep into your foundation.
There’s no exterior or interior drain tile in place or it’s ineffective.
Drain tiles are an essential addition to any home, which is why most of them will have one installed—however, there are always some older homes without a proper drain tile system in place. Drain tile is critical in making sure water intrusion doesn’t happen and if it does, the water is moved safely to the sump pump where it can be moved out of the home. That way, a drain tile can help as both a way to prevent water damage and a solution in the event it does still find a way into the home.
Gutters are not installed correctly or blocked.
Your home’s gutter system is one of the most important lines of defense from the threat of heavy rain flooding your basement, but they are often overlooked. Gutters can be easily blocked or damaged due to the elements, so homeowners should check up on them a couple times a year—especially before rainy season. Without those gutters, heavy rain can gather around your foundation and start to seep into the basement.
The basement wall or floor has sustained damage.
Any damage to your basement wall can be a potential hazard to your home’s foundation and the basement. If you’re seeing cracks, bows, or other damage on your basement wall or even on the floor, then there’s most likely an issue with your foundation that needs to be addressed. Plus, that damage will have a huger chance of letting water into the basement.
If you do encounter a wet basement or have been dealing with it the past couple springs, then it’s probably time to call an expert. With over 20 years of experience in foundation repair, Concrete and Foundation Solutions is your answer to water intrusion and water drainage problems in residential and commercial settings.