In order to prevent your basement from flooding, there are actually several things you can do both inside and outside your home. In this post, we will discuss some tips and tricks that can help keep your basement and your possessions from incurring costly water damage.
Your Home’s Exterior
Your home’s landscaping and gutter system can have a huge impact on the amount of water that can potentially lead to your basement. If you do not have a gutter system, or if you do but it is in poor condition, then have new gutters installed or make repairs. Conduct at least an annual inspection around your home to ensure the gutters are whisking away water from your home’s foundation as intended. If the land around your home slopes toward your basement, water will drain toward your home as well. Consider changing your landscape so the surrounding dirt slopes away from your home. Also, having shrubbery, flowers, etc. around your home’s foundation will help soak up more water than just bare dirt.
Interior Tips
One of the best ways to prevent flooding inside your basement is to have a sump pump installed by a professional plumber. Often power outages occur during thunderstorms, so for extra protection you can have a battery backup sump pump installed as well. During rainy seasons, inspect your basement walls and floors for cracks where water can seep in. If you see just minor seepage, there are special paint products you can use to seal up the cracks. However, if you see notable water coming through you should call a professional and have them inspect your home’s foundation.
If you have an older water heater or washing machine in your basement, store valuables off the floor as older appliances sometimes leak. Lastly, regularly running a de-humidifer in your basement, especially during the summer months is always a good idea. Keeping humidity levels within normal ranges helps to prevent the growth of mold and mildew.
If you want to know more about keeping your basement clean, warm and dry, please contact us.
