One of the worst problems to have in your home is basement flooding. Whether you use your basement for recreational use, like a man cave or game room, or use your basement for storage, specifically for that 20-year-old box of your college stuff, basements are an essential part of your house. Basement flooding can cause enormous inconveniences for you and your family. Basement flooding can damage furniture and damage your foundation, among other things.
However, you can prevent basement flooding. While these methods are not guarantees for stopping basement flooding, if you implement most or all of these methods into your routines, you’ve put up a good first line of defense against basement flooding.
Method #1: Watch Your Water Bill
Internal and external water sources can cause basement flooding. External sources are from nature, such as extreme rain and flooding. Internal sources are from leaking pipes and water heaters. Since internal sources are caused by sources of water you already pay for, you can easily track significant water leakage in your home to prevent basement flooding. It’s simple: Track your monthly water bill! If you see a sudden spike in your water bill without an identifiable reason, there’s a high likelihood that you have a water leak somewhere in your house. This water leak can cause basement flooding; therefore, something as simple as watching your water bill can prevent basement flooding.
Method #2: Clean Gutters and Downspouts
Most people do not recognize the importance of gutters and downspouts. Gutters and downspouts do more than stop water from piling on your house; they also play a vital role in preventing water from pooling directly around your home. Cleaning your gutters and downspouts regularly can ensure that water doesn’t collect on your roof and around your house. It is vital to make sure the gutter and downspout are not facing the house but are angled away. Proper drainage can prevent basement flooding by preventing the water from collecting and pooling around your home, which will then stop the water from leaking into your basement.
Method #3: Install and Maintain a Sump Pump
Wait, stop – what is a sump pump? This foreign-sounding object can be the most critical thing in your house. A sump pump is a small little pump that pumps collected water out from underneath your house. The main purpose of the sump pump is to prevent flooding into your basement. Therefore, if you want to prevent basement flooding, you should get a sump pump installed, if your house doesn’t already have one. Once you have experts put in a sump pump, you should make sure to check its functionality every three months. Installing is not good enough if the sump pump is not maintained, ensuring that it is working properly and effectively. Installation and maintenance of a sump pump can also prevent mold and mildew growth in, under, and around your house. So, installing and properly maintaining a sump pump can be two-tiered protection.
Method #4: Check for Foundation Cracks
Cracks in the foundation one of the ways water enters your basement and creates basement flooding. Checking for cracks in your foundation is a relatively simple process. Take a walk around the outside of your house and look for major cracks in the walls. Also, make a note of holes in the soil near your foundation. Then, go inside your basement and take a walk around the perimeter. If you have an unfinished basement, look for cracks in the drywall or spaces in the foundation. If your basement is finished, look for places in the ceiling where there are leaks. If you pay attention to the right places, you can typically find signs of basement flooding; then, make notes of these signs to prevent basement flooding.
Method #5: Regrade Your Lawn
Another term you may be unfamiliar with: lawn grading. Lawn grading sounds complicated, but it is very simple. Lawn grading is just adjusting the directionality of the soil. Landscapers and civil engineers use lawn grading to ensure that the soil is angled the way they want. Typically, lawns are graded so that they very gradually slope away from the home. But, calibrating a lawn’s grading can be a difficult task. It’s critical that water flows toward a lower-level drainage area. Regrading prevents water from collecting against your house. You can easily check if your lawn needs regrading by walking around your house. Walk to a spot on your lawn near your house. Observe whether the land looks like it is sloped away from your house. If the lawn is graded toward your house, that means that when it rains, the water is being drained and pooled toward your house, which can cause basement flooding. Regrading your lawn to slope away from your house can prevent basement flooding.
Preventing basement flooding can seem like a daunting and overwhelming, but these five methods can help a lot. While this list is not exhaustive, these steps are simple and achievable to help prevent basement flooding and the trials and tribulations associated with a flooded basement. Basement flooding can be very costly, from repairing structural damage, fixing water and mold damage, to fixing the underlying problem. Not to mention, you could potentially lose important and valuable items in your basement to water damage.
If you want to know more about waterproofing your basement, give the experts at Environmental Protective Solutions a call! We’re always happy to help.