Water in the Basement Can Wreak HAVOC on Your Home?

Water can seep into undergrounds from a variety of sources, including active leaks from pipes or plumbing fixtures, drains from gutters and downspouts, and even groundwater seepage into undergrounds. If you have water underground, it can stay there for months or years. This standing water can destroy your home’s foundation, rot wood beams and beams, and create mold problems that affect the air quality in your home.

You will need to check all possible sources to find out where the water is coming from so you can take appropriate measures to prevent future flooding. Some solutions include installing sump pumps, adding moisture barriers, and fixing the slope around the house so water can drain out of the house.

When you notice water seeping into your basement, the first thing you need to do is determine where it’s coming from. There are several possible sources of flooding, including surface water, groundwater, active plumbing problems, and severe moisture problems. Once you find the source of the problem, you can decide how to prevent water from entering the underground with effective solutions.

Underground spaces can contain many hazards, especially if the area is flooded. Before draining underground after a heavy rain or spill, make sure there are no wires or electrical outlets in the water. Also, wear heavy gloves, knee pads, long pants, long-sleeved shirts or coats, and open-toed shoes to protect yourself from rocks, glass, nails, and any other sharp or dangerous debris that may be in the space. Be aware that heavy invisible gas may also be present in low areas such as basements. If possible, use one or more fans to clear the underground before entering.

Surface water is not usually a problem, as houses equipped with gutters and downspouts often divert water from underground. However, if your gutters are full of debris, water can run down the sides and pool around your home’s foundation. Also, if the drainpipe is bent, broken, or simply directed the wrong way, meltwater from rain, snow, and ice can get into the underground.

Groundwater is one of the most difficult problems, as water can seep underground from the surrounding soil. The problem is especially relevant during the rainy season, which is exacerbated by the melting of snow and ice.
Plumbing problems seem like the worst source of space flooding to bypass, but active leaks are often one of the easiest problems to fix. Finding and fixing leaking plumbing is relatively easy, but plumbing problems can also include leaking plumbing pipes in dishwashers, washing machines, and even refrigerators, so be sure to take a good look underground.

Humidity is unlikely to lead to large puddles in the underground, but serious moisture problems can lead to massive growth of mold and mildew. These pollutants can degrade the air quality in your home and also indicate that moisture in the underground can cause floors, support beams and any other exposed wood to rot.

Check the drainpipes around the house to make sure they are not damaged, loose or directing water towards the house. Make any necessary repairs and adjust the water flow so that the drainpipes do not cause flooding.

Next, look at your gutters. Grass, leaves, dirt, and other debris can get stuck and cause blockages if not cleaned regularly. When this happens, the rainwater has nowhere to go, so it accumulates in the gutters until it overflows. Water from the ground can then accumulate around the foundation of the house and seep into the underground. To prevent gutter clogging, consider installing gutter guards and check your gutters regularly to keep them clean.

Figuring out how to drain water from under a house usually involves using a pump, a wet/dry vacuum cleaner, several fans, and a dehumidifier. If you have access to a submersible pump, this is the best way to quickly dry out a flooded underground; however, if the underground is just wet or has only a few puddles, this is not necessary. For minor floods, use a wet/dry vacuum cleaner to quickly remove puddles.

After cleaning up the puddle, place one or more fans underground to blow over the wet areas of the room. A basement crawl space dehumidifier can also help absorb moisture from the air. Be sure to keep the crawl space open to improve ventilation and speed up the drying process.

Another factor that can lead to a flood of underground spaces is the layout around the house. If the ground slopes towards your home, rain and melt water will naturally collect around the foundation. This standing water may remain outside the foundation, but in many cases it will gradually seep into the basement or underground where it continues to collect.

Minor alignment issues can be corrected with DIY landscaping to keep the yard away from your home’s foundation, but major problems should be handled by a professional contractor. They will know how to waterproof the foundation and create proper drainage channels so that water can flow out of the house. Based on their assessments on site, some companies may also be able to offer advice on how to remove water from underground and keep it out.

An easily detected source of flooding is an active leak, which is relatively easy to fix. First, locate the leak, whether it’s a drain, hot or cold water, plumbing, or household appliances that use water, such as a dishwasher or washing machine.

If the leak is from the plumbing or appliance, close the nearest shutoff valve (if available) or close the main shutoff valve to stop the flow of water. A home dehumidifier with plumbing experience can fix a leak on their own, but in most cases, you may need to hire a professional plumber to fix the leak.

One of the best ways to deal with a frequently flooded underground is to install a sump pump or have it installed by a professional. These devices are especially useful in flood prone areas prone to groundwater inundation during the rainy season.

The drain pump is located in the pit and prevents the accumulation of water by pumping out excess water from the underground. If the water level reaches a predetermined point in the pit, the drain pump starts and automatically pumps out the water before flooding occurs.

While sump pumps are a great way to deal with occasional flooding in basements, it’s also important to combat airborne moisture that sticks to exposed surfaces and causes rot or mold and mildew growth. To protect the floors, foundations, support beams, and walls of your home, you need to install a moisture barrier. This barrier will prevent airborne moisture from reaching the house structure, instead keeping it underground.

In addition, you can install an efficient dehumidifier to remove moisture from the air and significantly reduce the humidity in the basement. Remember, not just any dehumidifier will do – you need a device powerful enough to hold the space, and it’s best to invest in a product that activates when the humidity rises above a given threshold. This will make the dehumidifier work automatically and you won’t need to go underground to activate it manually.