Basement Flood Prevention: Basements are no longer ignored spaces where people store things they don’t need. Some build an extra room or a guest-bedroom in it; some design a media room or a game room in their basement. Regardless of what they chose to do with it, basements are seeing regular use these days.
Needless to say, flooding is a major concern to people who’re actively using their basements. If you’re storing expensive media equipment, nice furniture and spending so much money in designing the rooms, you want to ensure they don’t get damaged.
The Causes of a Basement Flood
Basements can be flooded due to several problems. There might be a massive leak in some pipeline in your home or someone left the tap open in one bathroom. However, the most common causes of basement floods are listed here:
- Basements can flood when surface water during rainfall or storms runs down the foundation walls and into the basement
- Sometimes, the ground water comes in contact with soil that’s already soggy. Hydrostatic pressure would demand that water find an outlet and that would be the basement
- There are times when the municipal storm drains are overwhelmed and excess water is pushed into residential outline foundation drains, causing some water to leak into the basement
- An obstruction in your home’s sewer line or the municipal sewer line can cause sewer water to rise through the sink or floor drains. This would flood the lower levels of your house, like the basement
Ways to Prevent a Basement Flood
There are ways to prevent your basement from flooding to begin with:
- Gutters need to be cleaned and maintained regularly. They can get clogged or even damaged without you even noticing. If the gutters are kept clean and in good repair, there would be proper drainage of water during rains
- After rainfall or storms, ensure that the gutters aren’t overflowing
- Check the downspout for any sort of clogging or damage regularly. If you find a damaged downspout, repair or replace it as soon as possible
- Ensure that your pavement is sloped in such a manner that water flows away from the house and not towards it
These and some other precautions can lessen the likelihood of flooding in the basement. There are times when flooding can’t be helped. In such cases, you need to hire a professional to help you out.
