If you’ve ever experienced flooding in your basement, you know just how big a pain in the rear it can be. After all, there’s nothing worse than descending the basement stairs and seeing your basement buried beneath several inches of standing water and to see your belongings soaked under the weight of water.You be wondering how does flooding happen anyway? The answer is simple: over time a house’s foundation settles and shifts with changes in soil. As it shifts cracks can form, especially when the soil around your home’s foundation becomes saturated by moisture. As the soil becomes saturated with more water than it can absorb, the excess water seeps through those cracks that form and goes anywhere there’s an opening. That can mean your basement walls and into your basement where mold and mildew can rapidly form.So what can you do to keep your basement dry? Here’s are some tips to keep the water out:
- Clean your gutters: It may be a messy and aggravating job sometimes, but to keep your basement clean, you need to keep your gutters clean too. Keeping your home’s gutters clean and free of debris as well as keeping your downspouts cleaned positioned properly is paramount. By doing this, water will flow freely away from your home when it storms, rather than pooling up around the outside of your home. It’s recommended that gutters divert water away at least 10 feet from your home.
- Do some landscaping: Whether you know it or not, the condition of your flower beds can actually affect how your home deals with water. If your yard is sloped toward your home for example, it can cause water to pool up around your home. Doing regular landscaping like draining and lawn regrading is another way to keep water from accumulating in the wrong spots.
- Crack inspection: Another key preventative step when it comes to basement waterproofing is to inspect any cracks you find around your home’s foundation. Even the tiniest crack is nothing to ignore because small cracks can grow bigger. You’ll want to inspect the outside of your house, every nook and cranny, as well as your basement walls and basement floors. If you see any, you can fill them with epoxy or you can call a basement waterproofing company for help with serious issues.
- Septic inspection: Another key step to basement waterproofing is to have your septic tank cleaned and your sewer inspected. Ignoring these things can lead to severe backups, clogs and overflows which will leave you with more serious issues to worry about.
- Sump pump maintenance: One of the most common causes of basement flooding is sump pump failure. It’s true that a sump pump in a home can be a great defense against flooding, but failure to maintain it and keep it in good working order can lead to problems. If there’s a big storm headed for your area, it’s best to make sure your sump pump is functioning correctly. It’s important to keep in mind that should your basement flood due to a broken sump pump, it may not always be covered by your home insurance.
- Be knowledgeable about insurance: As previously mentioned, some types of basement flooding may not be covered by a general home insurance policy. With that in mind, it’s best to look into Maid Easy LLC a flood insurance to protect yourself as much as possible.
- Put window covers in: Regardless of what kind of foundation you have—crawlspace, slab or full basement—you can do yourself a favor when it comes to basement waterproofing by installing window covers on your basement windows. The covers go right over your windows and attach to your foundation.
The bottom line is that when it comes to basement flooding, it’s best to do whatever you can to be proactive as a homeowner. The truth is that while home ownership can be very satisfying, it’s seldom ever a walk in the park. By using the steps described above, you’ll be able to do wonders for your foundation and your basement when it comes to basement waterproofing. By being proactive, you can do a lot to avert disaster or calls to home foundation repair services.
