After last night heavy storms in Cuyahoga, Summit, Wayne and Portage counties many people were left without power and with flooding around their neighborhoods. While you may not be able to do much about the flooding on the roads, you can prevent flooding in your basement and take precautions to keep it dry and mold free. Mold in your basement is not only hazardous for your health for you and your family now, but it can have repercussions later in life. Having a dry, mold free basement for your family to enjoy in the hot summer months can be as easy as calling our company; we offer a no hassle, free consultation to talk about what we can do for your basement.
Tips for dealing with flooded basements
Basement flooding can be a health hazard and the start of a long-term headache.
Beacon Journal homes writer Mary Beth Breckenridge has provided tips over the last several years for dealing with wet basements. Here is a compilation of that advice.
• If water is on the basement floor, be concerned about dangers that can be created by electrical cords.
• Water may have drowned pilot lights, resulting in a buildup of explosive natural gas.
• Call the utility companies to have the power and gas turned off, or contact a damage-restoration specialist to deal with the problem.
• Be aware that containers of chemicals may have leaked, contaminating the water.
• Unplug appliances if they’re near the water.
• Call the insurance company. It’s better to ascertain upfront whether the damage is covered and whether the insurance company will pay a professional to do the work.
• If possible, try to stop the flow. The problem might be as simple as a blocked intake on a sump pump. Otherwise, try to contain or divert the flow.
How to Prevent Basement Water Intrusion
After all of the rain we’ve had this week, there are wet basements all over the Twin Cities. The most common question we get when it comes to wet basements is “how can I fix it?”
While installing drain tile, a sump basket, and a sump pump is nearly a guaranteed way to prevent basement water intrusion, the most important part of preventing basement water intrusion is to control water at the exterior of the home. There are two very basic things that will prevent basement water intrusion in at least 95% of houses: grading and gutters.
By the way, I say 95% conservatively. The number is probably closer to 99%.
Grading
Grading is the first thing to look at if there are water problems at a house. I know this sounds very basic, and it is, but I inspect a ridiculous amount of houses that have poor grading at the exterior. This means that the ground slopes toward the building or allows water to pond next to the building, rather than away. The fix for improper grading is to change the landscaping.
Changing the landscaping to get water flowing away from the house is sometimes as easy as bringing in some dirt next to the house and getting the ground to pitch away from the house. The slope of the dirt away from the house doesn’t need to be anything dramatic – it just needs to be enough to prevent water from sitting next to the house. Just be careful not to pile the dirt too high against the house, because this could lead to rotting at of the wood framing. Try to keep the grade at least 6″ below the top of the foundation wall.
Roof water is the number one enemy of your foundation and it is critical for a dry basement to manage your roof water well. Clean and clear gutters with tight downspouts all working together are half the battle, the other half is where it goes once at ground level.
Pioneer Basement Solutions will install underground drainage lines to carry your roof water safely away from your foundation. We use quality solid PVC that is glued at the seams for no leaks, and no roots. Our underground downspout lines are easily cleaned out if needed and since they are smooth PVC they will not hold or grab any debris.
