5 Tips to Keep Your Basement DRY!
Monday, September 16, 2013 at 09:55AM 
Being in the water damage business for most of my life, I have come to realize that there are A LOT of people that have leaky basements. In some cases these basements have leaked for years. I want to first explain the concept of a basement and then share a couple of simple ideas that can help to reduce moisture intrusion into your basement.
Imagine digging a hole next to your basement, all the way to the bottom of the foundation. That hole would be 10 or more feet deep on some sides of your basement. When there has been a significant amount of rain that hole would be filled with water. That water is against your basement foundation. For this reason I liken a basement to a boat. If there are any cracks, water will come in. There are always some cracks in a foundation.
To prevent water from coming in a couple of things are done during initial construction to prevent water intrusion. First a piped drainage system is put around the perimeter of the foundation. This gives water a way to drain away from the foundation and reduces the water level right around the house. Then a waterproofing sealant is applied to the outside of the foundation. This keeps any water that collects from coming in. Then soil is pushed against the foundation and sloped away so that groundwater runs away from the house. Gutters should also be installed and in some cases they are piped away from the foundation.
If your basement is leaking one or more of these controls has failed. Commonly the drainage system outlet has been blocked or crushed, the ground is sloping toward the house or gutters are not functioning properly.
Here are some simple fixes to try when you have a leaky basement:
- Look around the perimeter of your home and be sure that on every side the ground slopes away from your house. If the ground slopes toward your home, perhaps you can correct this or you may need to hire a landscaper for professional help to change the grade.
- Clean out your gutters! This is the most common reason water comes into the home. Have a gutter guard that keeps leaves out installed or clean your gutters regularly. I have lots of trees around my home and I have to clean gutters at least 4 times during the fall and then again in periodically winter, spring and summer.
- Find the outlet of the foundation drain. This usually exits on the sides that are the lowest. Make sure the outlets are not blocked or crushed.
- There are some sealers that can be put on the inside of the wall to keep water out. These are moderately effective if all of the above items are first checked and corrected.
- Install a dehumidifier to reduce humidity in your basement from normal water vapor intrusion. This is valuable whether your basement leaks or not.
These tips should help keep your basement drier. If they do not solve your problem there are basement and foundation specialists that can make guaranteed repairs that are very costly, but may be required.
Jeremy Reets, CEO
Reader Comments (1)
The basement is where most water heater and sump pumps are located so it is the most vulnerable spot in your home for water damage and flooding. I work as a San Diego water damage restoration expert and while we don't have many homes with basements here, I do get calls from inland houses with flooded basements. I am always on the lookout for tips on preventing flooding, I will share this with some of my customers, great post. Keep them up!