Basement Flooding – 3 Ways to fix It
By JennyWetzel | December, 2019 | Tacoma, WA
Living in a wet region like the Pacific NorthWest will call for a bit more home care especially during the rainy months – which lasts from about October to late June if you’re in Washington State. Nothing is more off-putting than waking up to a basement full of water after a long 13-hours of non-stop rain, especially when you had no idea the rain was flooding your house instead of the streets! Water damage from the rain can cause thousands of dollars of damage that you really aren’t looking to spend. This is why it is important to make an extra conscious effort to pay attention to your house when it rains. You want to be able to notice any cracks, leaks, or floods while they are small and manageable; when you wait too long larger problems occur – don’t push the little things to the side!
Luckily, basement flooding is both fixable and preventable, it’s just a matter of taking the right steps to prevent or fix the flooding. Below are 3-ways you can fix (or prevent) basement flooding; it is important that homeowners and renters alike approach these methods fully and quickly so you can save money, hassle and home damage.
1. Reroute Rainwater
Rerouting the rainwater can be done multiple ways (using splash blocks or an underground rainwater diverting system), I advise that you try one method and keep a close eye on the flooding to see if that method worked efficiently or not. If not, try the alternative method. You can also use both methods for maximum protection and to assure your basement does not flood.
The splash block method works by diffusing the water that comes down hard and heavily out of your downspout into a different direction away from the house.
The underground rainwater diverting system works similarly to the splash blocks in which it diverts the rainwater away from the house, preventing it from flooding the basement. An underground system is usually what homeowners need so their basement or crawl space does not flood.
2. Clean Gutters
The most affordable option for homeowners to fix/prevent floods in their basement is for them to clean out their gutters. Gutter build-up such as leaves, branches, and much more will accumulated in your gutter as the winds start to speed up and the months go by. If you do not regularly clean out your gutters, all of the accumulated build-up will keep rainwater from being able to pass through the gutters properly. If the rainwater cannot pass through properly it will eventually have to find other places to go and those places will end up being inside of your home.
If rain water is pouring out of your gutters, it can result in water in your crawl space or basement AND siding damage. Don’t let these issues go unrepaired. The initial fix is a relatively easy one; clean or replace your gutters). If is goes untreated, the fix can be extremely invasive. Repair siding, structural support (if it gets in the walls) and mold are expensive and invasive.
3. Sump Pump
If diverting rain water away from your home using a well functioning gutter system and underground diverting system, it maybe time to install a sump pump. A sump pump is installed in specially constructed sump pits. Once installed, the rainwater flows into the sump pit through drains or natural water migration and the sump pump, pumps the water out of the pit and away from your house and basement preventing the flooding. Some of these newer system come with alarms. If the system isn’t working or is overloaded, the sound will alarm and you and all your neighbors will know about it. 😉
Dealing with basement flooding is a hassle but can be avoided and easily fixed! The significant majority (well over 90%) can be prevented through proper diversion of rainwater. Following these three of the suggested fixes, will likely give you peace of mind during the rainy months by keeping your basement and crawl spaces dry.
