How to Prevent a Wet Basement

Not only does a wet basement feel and smell nasty, but it also poses a great risk to your family’s health, not to mention your home’s value. If left unchecked, a damp basement with high moisture levels can ruin floors, walls, and other structural components. It also encourages mould, rot, and poor indoor air quality.

Thanks to a wet spring and cooler than average summer in the Kawarthas, the earth around your house is already saturated. And with predictions for a heavy snowfall this upcoming winter, the spring thaw could result in disastrous wet basement problems. Now is the time to fix your issues before they turn into much bigger problems in the spring!

Fortunately, there are a number of wet basement cures. Depending on your situation, removing moisture from your basement could be an easy fix or you may need to call in the services of a professional. Either way, it’s important to act fast and get to the bottom of what’s causing your wet basement.

5 ways to keep water out of your basement:

Clean your eavestrough and unclog downspouts.

Even though your water issues are in the lowest part of your house, the eavestrough may be to blame. Your eavestrough could be overflowing when it rains due to downspouts being clogged up by leaves and other debris. Without a properly functioning eavestrough and downspout, water will pool up right next to your foundation. Eventually, find it’s way into your basement.

Leave a dehumidifier on at all times.

If you live in an older home with a stone foundation or have minor dampness use a dehumidifier to lower humidity levels. This will keep the air dry enough to stop mould from growing. But if you have visible puddles in your basement or reoccurring damp spots, a dehumidifier is only a small part of the fix for a much larger problem.

Reshape the landscape around your foundation.

If your eavestrough and downspouts are properly carrying rain away from your home but water still finds its way into your basement or crawl space, the next logical step is to check the grading of your landscape. Your house should sit on layers of sand and soil that clearly slope down and away from your foundation walls. If the ground is sloping towards your house, water will eventually pool up right beside your foundation and lead to a wet basement or flood. It doesn’t matter how watertight a foundation might be; if water is there long enough it will get in!

Install an interior drain system & sump pump.

Interior drain systems consist of perforated pipe that is installed in the ground around the perimeter of your basement floor. The pipes drain to a collection tank located at the lowest spot of the basement floor. Next, a sump pump system removes all the water out of the house. This is a highly effective way to fix your wet basement issues from the inside of your home. Doyle Plumbing sells and installs industry-leading sump pumps, including battery backup systems that kick in during power outages.

Waterproof the exterior walls.

If your basement is finished and experiencing water issues, you should consider permanently waterproofing your foundation’s exterior. This requires excavating around the perimeter of your house. It is likely the best solution if you have a foundation with a number of cracks and gaps. This involves excavating to the full depth of your foundation’s walls and installing a membrane or waterproof coating. Drainage panels are also installed that provides an easy path for water to flow towards an exterior drainage system at the bottom of your foundation. The exterior drain collects the water and pushes it away from your property. Helping it find a wat to a storm drain, either by gravity or with the help of a sump pump.

Solving your wet basement problems is one of the most important things you can do to protect the value of your home and the health of your family.

If you have noticed water in your basement and would like a qualified professional to diagnose your wet basement issues before further damage occurs, contact Doyle Plumbing, Heating & Cooling.

We have the expertise, equipment, and know-how to identify and get rid of your wet basement problems. Call us to arrange your in-home consultation today!