Water damaged basements

Not many things can be as disruptive to a home owner than arriving home to a flooded basement, or taking the stairs to the lower level and discovering standing water all around and feeling helpless. The damage can be rather severe and can range from water damaged hardwood, wet sheetrock and insulation and water logged carpet and pad. Soaked belongings can likewise be destroyed particularly if the water damage has been going on a long time prior to being found and valuable items like family heirlooms and photo albums will just make matters worse. But knowing the causes of wet basements and how to prevent water damage can help avoid this frustration.

In order to fix a basement that’s experienced water damage and help prevent it from happening once more it’s it important to know the origin of the water loss. When water damaged basements occur for the first time, it is important to work out if the water issues are going to happen again or whether it was a one-off occurance. A vital step in solving this question is investigating where the water source is. In and around Sacramento and other built up cities there are four common sources of water that can cause basement damage, firstly surface water running down foundation walls and then into the basement. Groundwater in water-saturated soils being pushed into the basement by hydrostatic pressure can also cause major issues. Storm sewer water from the municipal storm sewer system can back up into the home’s existing perimeter foundation drain and leak into the basement. Although this can only happen if the perimeter foundations drain system is connected to the municipal sewer system. Lastly sanitary sewer water from a combined municipal storm/sanitary sewer system backing up into the home’s drain system, can cause sewer water to come up through sink drains and floor drains on lower levels.

To prevent, or at a minimum lower the chance of water related problems due to water entering the basement here are a few handy tips:

• Dampness or standing water in basements and crawl spaces may be evidence of a plumbing leak or improper drainage, which can lead to structural problems and mold damage which could result in amold technician needing to be hired.
• Inspect your homes gutter systems often and remove any debris to prevent blockages.
• If your home is in an area with a lot of trees that loose their leaves, purchasing gutter guards could be a time saving investment.
• Your downspouts should protrude several feet out from your homes foundation in order to carry rain water away from your house. If they don’t, you can purchase extensions that attach to your downspouts.
• Check where the gutters meet the stucco on the outside of you home, sometimes builders don’t stucco behind the gutter end piece correctly and water could be pouring into your home without you knowing.
• Fill in any low spots around the house and amend any cracked paved areas or paving that slopes towards the house so water drains away from the foundation.
• Inspect caulking around windows and doors and replace as needed where cracked or deteriorated.
• Check for damage or deterioration around the flashing at chimneys, skylights, vents and other junctions.
• Are there any hills sloping down toward the house that may be the source of the water? If they do slope towards the house, an engineer may need to be called to evaluate the situation and come up with an appropriate solutions.
• Is there a lawn/shrub irrigation system discharging too much water next to the house? Avoid placing lawn irrigation next to the house.

Related Posts:

• Related posts on flood damage
• Water damage emergency contingency measures