Few features are more important to the health of your house than its capacity to keep dry, even in the most extreme adverse weather. Due to the basement’s below-grade elevation and proximity to the water table, those requirements are amplified considerably more when the house has a basement.
Some of the most common reasons that cause a wet basement are listed below. There are many different ways for moisture to intrude into your basement. You might just find your home is at risk from one of the eight causes on this list below.
8 Causes of a Wet Basement
1. Missing or improperly draining gutters and downspouts
Blocked gutters can cause water to pour over the sidewalls and adjacent to the foundation. Downspouts might have lacking parts that keep them from being able to direct water away from home.
2. Soil with poor grading
Soil that slopes back to the house might send water alongside the foundation, where it can easily seep into the foundation.
3. Window wells with poor design
For some basement windows, the window wells were built into the soil. Water can accumulate in these wells, causing trouble.
4. Drain tiles are ineffective
An improperly draining gutters system that runs all the way around the outside of a home simply won’t work! (Heed the misnomer because it is really a pipe, not tile.) This pipe has the potential to get clogged or crushed over time, requiring routine maintenance to keep it working correctly.
5. Sump pump isn’t working
A malfunctioning or badly working sump pump in the basement cannot drain increasing water. With the help of Basement Masters Waterproofing, your sump pump can be repaired or replaced if it is time for a new one!
6. French drains blocked
French drains are underground drainage systems that can be clogged by dirt or roots without routine maintenance.
7. Cracks in structure
Water can manage to enter the basement through the cracks in the foundation wall. The longer water enters in this way, the more extensive the leaking becomes until, eventually, your walls are at risk for collapsing inside the basement space!
8. Water is coming up through the sump
Water can occasionally enter the basement through the sump pit during floods.
If you can identify any of the previous issues in your home’s basement or other area where waterproofing is present, give us a call today at 571-350-8292.
Read next: Is It Better to Repair Basement Leaks Inside or Outside?
