While basement flooding is always possible, the conditions for it to occur are usually most favorable in the spring. Spring rain, melting soils, and melting snow all increase the chance of water getting into your basement and resultant damage.
When groundwater seeks the path of least resistance, it often finds its way into basements. This passage might be a fissure in your foundation wall or on the floor of your slab. There’s also the possibility that it’s entering the room through the cove joint on the floor. Furthermore, cracks in cellar storm doors, window wells, or concrete steps all provide entry points for water.
Basement Flood Prevention
A flooded basement poses severe risks to your family’s well-being and your home’s integrity. The easiest method to ensure that your basement remains dry throughout the year is to eliminate or fix the most prevalent sources of water leakage. Moreover, some landscaping and upkeep can be helpful. You can take these measures to prevent a basement flood.
1. Use Landscaping Techniques
If your yard is sloping inward toward your home, you should level it. Rather than leveling the entire yard, you may use landscaping to create swales and drainage ditches that help slow down or divert water from your home. Your home’s foundation might be shielded from flooding by strategically placing flower beds in your yard.
Soil erosion is a significant contributor to flooding and water runoff, but it can be mitigated by using plants native to your area and improving the site’s drainage. Mulch should be applied in layers of a few inches to flower beds and around bushes to help keep soil in place and to absorb excess water.
A flood cleanup company in Garden City can also aid you in case your property is damaged by flooding. Their expert team and experienced workers can finish the job in no time.
2. Check and Repair Gutters and Downspouts
A house’s gutters are the initial barrier between the structure and the rain. To function as intended, you must ensure that they are regularly cleaned and maintained.
Get rid of any leaves or other debris that could act as a sponge or block your downspouts so water can flow away from your home’s foundation. A simple diverter or extender can be installed for next to nothing to prevent water from gathering near the foundation of your property.
3. Install a Sump Pump
Sump pumps are installed in homes to collect excess water and remove it from the premises. If you live in a flood-prone area, water mitigation can be made by installing a sump pump (or using a portable one) is an innovative safety measure. Make regular checks by filling it with water until it turns on to ensure proper operation.
4. Repair Foundation Cracks
Water can enter your basement through cracks in the foundation. Inspect the foundation and the walls of the basement of your home for any cracks, which are a natural occurrence due to the cold weather and the structure settling. Most of the time, you can patch up little cracks on your own for damage restoration. However, when dealing with larger cracks, you should engage an expert.
5. Maintain Pipes and Septic System
Ignoring your plumbing is a quick way to get water in the basement, and it’s not necessarily the result of an external source. Therefore, you should inspect and fix your home’s plumbing system.
Sometimes we need to remember when the septic tank was last drained out and cleaned. Wastewater from sources such as sinks, tubs, dishwashers, washing machines, and toilets is eventually routed there. Then, combine this with a raging storm that floods the ground around your property, including your septic tank; it sounds like you have a disaster in the making. Regular springtime cleanouts of your septic tank are essential for keeping it in good working order.
