Creative Tips on How to Stop Flooding in Your Basement
Summer and spring are relaxed seasons for household owners, but still you need to be on the lookout for one thing, basement flooding. This may not seem like a major concern until these seasons spring up a surprise through flash rains and melting snow.
Ignore Basement Flooding at Your Own Risk
As a conscious homeowner, you do appreciate the debilitating effects this will have on your property thus necessitating proactive action to stop flooding. While flooding may not be common in your neighborhood, you need to appreciate the dangers, especially with the unpredictable weather today. Consider these risks:
- Bowing and buckling foundation walls: This happens if your foundation has expansive clays which become heavier when saturated with runoff water.
- Soggy lawns that ruin your landscape and diminish value of your property.
- Damage to wood boards used in the foundation and basement structures. This compromises the integrity of your property.
- Horizontal, stair step and diagonal cracks on the foundation walls indicate weakening of the structure. This should be a red alarm indicating your property is in danger.
- Poor interior air quality leading to health issues due to high humidity levels and dampness on the floors.
Simple Techniques to Stop Flooding
That your precious lifetime investment is under serious threat due to flooding is not in doubt. As such, you should consider these options, which are best applied by an experienced foundation contractor:
- Effective landscaping: Grading the area around the foundation is crucial and this calls for an expert’s input. Cobblestones and river rock can be used to fill the area next to the foundation. This forces the flood water to move away from the walls. Moreover, there should be a slope away from these walls to avoid stagnation puddles.
- Runoff extensions: Runoff water is the greatest culprit both in flooding and wreaking havoc through moisture seepage. Gutters and downspouts extension are crucial in turning runoff water away from the walls. A contractor has the equipment to measure and fix these extensions at the most effective lengths.
- Efficient sump pump systems: Most home owners who have encountered basement flooding use sump pumps. However, you must ensure the pump is well powered to perform optimally. You should have an expert technician checking it regularly, especially before the onset of flood season. Moreover, the pumps discharge pipe must extend away from the walls to stop flooding.
- Unclog all drainage systems: Make sure all runoff drains including spouts and gutters are not blocked lest water starts trickling down along the walls. Moreover, check your sewer and septic tank for cleaning as an overflow can be disastrous.
Basement flooding jeopardizes your property’s life and hence you should use an expert contractor to troubleshoot, diagnose and correct any hazards to stop flooding that may ruin your huge investment.
