Wet Basement Problems

The most common problem basement contractors are called for is to help fix wet and flooding basements. Groundwater can seep into a basement through any point, including the floors, walls, and especially the joint where the foundation walls meet the floor.

The cause of groundwater flooding is from generally two sources. One is an unusually high water table. The other is saturated foundation soils from rainwater. The common element in both is that your foundation experiences an unusually high level of water, which then finds its way into your basement.

Why Basements Flood

Foundation Backfill
When your foundation is dug, the original hard-packed soil is removed to make room for the basement or crawl space. After the foundation has been built, there is an empty space around the edges that must be backfilled with a portion of this soil. The soil that is returned will be looser, more fluffed, and more absorbent of water than the untouched, virgin soil around it ever will be. As a result, when water is present, there will be more moisture around your foundation than anywhere else, creating a false water table around your home.

Hydrostatic Pressure
As this water rises, its weight adds an enormous amount of pressure- known as hydrostatic pressure- on the basement walls. This water will push its way through any opening and crevice it can find- including any cracks or gaps in the basement. Small openings will be pushed open wider, weak seals will be pushed apart, and the weakest link in the foundation- the wall-floor joint- may fail to keep the water out. Water can also leak in through cracks in the floor- click to read about leaking basement floor cracks.

Solutions for Wet Basements

Exterior French Drains
Exterior French drains are designed to run along the outside perimeter of a basement, collecting the water before it begins to enter through the foundation and using gravity to naturally drain it away.

Interior French Drains
Interior French Drains are installed on top of the footing along the inside of a basement. These collect water as it enters the basement, sending it to a sump pump that mechanically pumps the water out of the house.

Sump Pump Systems
Sump Pump systems collect water from around the foundation and pump it away from the house. Surprisingly, there's a lot to a sump pump, and making the best choices about which features to include in your own system can save you from a flooded basement.

Yard Drainage from Sump Pumps
Simply running a pipe from your sump pump to the outside is not the answer. Find out how to keep the pipe from clogging with debris and prevent the system from backing up when water freezes in the line.