Transition Your Basement From Winter To Spring
Symptoms
- Damp or musty smells
- High humidity/constantly running dehumidifier, if applicable
- Dark discoloration on walls
- Efflorescence (white, chalky substance) walls
- Mold on walls
- Visible moisture on walls
- Standing water on basement floor
Where is the Water Coming From?
Leaks that come out of what seems like nowhere have actually been in the works for years. Once your foundation has been flooded once, it is sure to happen again.
Foundation Leaks
- The “Clay Bowl Effect” happens to homes with basements that are built into the ground. The hole dug is only slightly bigger than the space a home will need to fit the foundation. The backfilled soil used to fill in the space will never be packed tightly enough again and will be much more absorbent.
- Hydrostatic pressure is the heavy water in the soil built up so much that it begins to crack your concrete and pushing through windows.
- An interior drain system works by bypassing the expense and damage that an exterior drain would cause. Interior systems cost half as much, install in 1-2 days, and are installed without yard excavation.
Plumbing Leaks
A home plumbing failure can cause a basement to fill up fast, luckily there are easy and effective solutions.
- One huge cause of flooding is one that most homeowner would never think about -- burst washer hoses. FloodChek® Hoses are specifically designed to handle high water pressure and prevent flooding.
- Water heater ruptures cause gallons of water to spill out in minutes. The best way to protect your home is with FloodRing, a PVC ring that is sealed to your basement floor around the water tank.
- WaterWatch Flood Alarm is able to detect flood water and give you a warning right away.
Stairway Flooding
Even when a sump pump system is installed water can flow through the hatchway and down the stairs into your basement.
- Hatchway entrances are a concrete shell that’s bolted onto foundation walls after they’re built, so they are not sealed to the foundation. Anywhere there is an opening, like the doors or cracks between the foundation walls.
- TrenchDrain™ Hatchway Door System is designed to be a part of an existing drain system, collecting water through a grate and emptying it into the existing perimeter drain and sump pump. This system can span the entrance of the hatchway, or can be extended inside the hatchway itself.
Flooding Through Floor & Wall Cracks
Not every crack in your foundation floors and walls are signs of structural issues, but a tiny crack is a big problem if it’s leaking.
- Polyurethane foam expands to fill all the way through the wall and from top to bottom. The polyurethane will even expand to fill voids in soil that could cause problems.
- The three steps to waterproofing a basement floor include installing a perimeter drainage system and drainage channel, then restoring the floor.
- Most water that collects under the floor is taken care of by a sump pump or perimeter drainage system before water pushes through floor cracks. In cases of serious flooding through cracks but creating a lateral line to your drainage system is an easy, cost-effective way to keep your basement dry.
