Water damage restoration in a basement can be a big job. There is the issue of standing water, but also the issues of potential mold in the home, and damage to your belongings. The best way to deal with a leaky basement is to prevent the chance of a leak in the first place. To best protect your home, you should understand what the most common causes are for leaks in a basement.
Some of the most common causes of a leak in a basement include:
Wall Leaks
Water can leak into your basement through the walls in a number of ways. If rainwater drains back toward the house, it can likely find an entry point above the basement wall. In some types of construction, water may leak through tie holes or through issues in the mortar. One of the biggest cause of leaks in basements is cracks in the basement wall – just fixing the crack itself does not stop the leak necessarily as the cause of the crack needs to be found to prevent further issues.
Window Leaks
Window wells are positioned outside of basement or ground-level windows to keep soil and water away from the window. When window wells fail, such as from overflowing gutters above, the window wells themselves may fill with water and leak into the basement.
Pipe Leaks
Leaks from a sewer or water pipe can be a large issue to deal with. Because the issue may remain hidden for a long time before it is exposed, the issue is often significant by the time it is found. Often this type of leak comes with additional problems such as mold in the walls of the basement. A waterproofing contractor should be notified immediately when a crack is found in the basement floor.
Floor Leaks
Cracks in the floor of a basement can be caused by the natural effect of the weight of water in the ground. Cracks in the floor of a basement is often a very significant structural issue
Sump Pump Failure
Some common reasons for sump pump failure include loss of power, improper installation, switch problems, lack of proper maintenance, and frozen or clogged lines. The goal of a sump pump is to collect water and move it away from the home, but when the sump pump stops working the water can be too much to move away from the home and may settle into the basement.
Looking into ways to waterproof your basement tends to only become a concern after you have experienced the nuisance of water damage. For this reason it is best to think of waterproofing options for your basement as a preventative measure, rather than as a reaction.
