There are a few things that as a homeowner we need to keep in check. Basic maintenance around the house is expected; if something breaks, we fix it. Among those basic maintenance chores, cleaning the gutters and making sure the water drains away from the foundation of your home, should be among the most important aspects of maintaining your home healthy. Another important fact is making sure the sump pump is in working condition in case you need it. Using a humidifier in your basement is also extremely useful, and you will be surprised at the amount of water that humidifier collects in a daily basis. For more tips and information about keeping your basement dry, follow the links below.
How to Keep Rain Out of Your Basement
Last May was one for the record books, when severe storms slammed the Front Range, bringing snow, hail, tornado warnings and heavy spring rains. More than eight inches of rain fell, making for the wettest single month ever recorded in Colorado Springs.
Those who suffered landslides, sink holes and flooding in their basements won’t soon forget this experience. Yet, despite 2015’s unrelenting rainfall, many Front Range homeowners remain unprepared to deal with the consequences of outsize storms.
“We had an unprecedented amount of rain last year and chances are high we’ll be hit hard again this year,” says Dave Correa, supervisor at Peak Structural, a waterproofing and foundation repair contractor in Palmer Lake, Colorado.
Basement flooding is a problem that does not go away on its own, he points out. “Once water finds its way into a basement or crawlspace, it creates a path that excess water can follow for years to come,” says Correa. “Unless you take steps to address the problem, you’ll be stuck battling the rainfall, and fearing the nightly weather repo.
For homeowners who have had a basement waterproofing system installed that includes the installation of drain tile under the basement floor around the perimeter of the basement, you need to consider the following.
Installation of the drain tile requires sections of the concrete basement floor be removed before the drain tile can be installed. Removing the existing floor exposes the dirt underneath the concrete floor, which may or may not cause the release of radon gas into the basement area. When the concrete floor is replaced, most systems leave a small one inch gap between the replaced concrete floor and the basement foundation wall. This open space can become a source for the radon gas to enter your living area.
Any homeowners who have had the perimeter drain tile system installed, it is suggested that you purchase a radon test kit to determine whether you have unhealthy levels of radon gases in their basement areas. For homeowners who are considering installing a drain tile system under their basement floor, it is suggested that you check the radon levels before and after the drain tile is installed. If the radon levels become unhealthy after the drain tile system is installed, it may be a result of the contractor creating the problem. In that case, you may want to look to the contractor to mitigate the radon gases at their cost.
In the 20 years I spent as a professional home inspector, the top three problems my home-buying clients were concerned about can best be summed up this way: water, water and water! Waterproofing your home is the surest way to make sure buyers stay interested.
While leaks through roofs, pipes and basements are constant concerns, a wet, leaking basement always ranked highest as the home improvement problem most likely to send buyers running for the nearest open house.
Whether you are a buyer, seller or owner of a home, wet basements are always a concern. Not only is a wet basement unusable, flooded foundations can be seriously weakened and toxic mold–the newest threat to residential indoor air quality–can fester faster when an ample supply of water lies just underfoot.
The good news about these unplanned indoor pools is this: while wet basements are often thought of as one of life’s biggest home repair headaches, they are generally easy and inexpensive to fix. Yes, that’s right–easy and inexpensive!
The wrong way to waterproof a wet basement. Ask 10 people how to fix a wet basement and you’re likely to get answers that include use of jackhammers to break up basement floors, backhoes to dig out dirt from foundation walls, sump pumps that have to be wired and plumbed, and other such drastic and expensive measures.
