Water Damage

Dealing With Basement Water Damage

It seems like everything is working out great with your new home. You've signed the paperwork and paid the closing costs. You are ready to move in. So, you pack your belongings and start the transfer.

However, to your absolute dismay, when you bring your washer and dryer downstairs to the laundry area, you discover that the house has basement water damage. Suddenly, the dream of moving into your dream home has become a nightmare. The contract is signed and you are stuck.

Solutions for water damage

What are you to do now? You can't live in a home that's wet and you know that mold and mildew can grow very quickly. With quick action, however, you should be able to fix this common problem. You do not want that musty basement smell in your house.

If the water is obviously pooling, you'll want to immediately get that mopped up or you may need a basement sump pump. If there isn't standing water, the first thing you'll want to do is determine what is causing the leakage. The last thing you want to start doing is waterproofing your basement walls already.

Find the cause

Get to the root of the problem and fix it. Start with the simplest possibilities first. Check the rain gutters and the drains. It's very possible that these have just become blocked, and that is an easy fix. A lot of ceiling damage is actually quite easy to prevent.

After that, you'll want to examine the exterior of your lot for the cause of your basement water damage. The slope should be going away from the house for proper drainage, both in your landscaping and in any exterior concrete or paving. Fixing poor slope in soil will be fairly simple. Poorly installed concrete, however, can be a bit expensive to fix and you'll need to hire a qualified contractor.

Next, check the window wells and the landscaping close to the house. If window wells don't have enough clearance, water could be flowing into them and then leaking into the house.

Shrubs and plants next to the house can obstruct drainage as well, so make sure that they aren't causing your problem.

Finally, it's possible that your foundation wasn't properly sealed or is cracked, allowing ground water to come right through and causing the wet basement. This is a bit hard to determine on your end, so you may want to seek help from a professional, both in diagnosing and doing the repairs.

If none of these possibilities seem to alleviate the leakage, there are several more extreme options to consider. It's possible to dig around your house, exposing the foundation to control any basement water damage.

There are many excellent basement waterproofing products on the market, most of which you can do yourself. One green solution is the company, Aqua Seal. Their Eco-Flex membrane systems can seal the foundation and walls to prevent the water in the basement.

The Deco Drainage & Protection Board is another good product to help solve your problem. You may also consider digging a French drain around the perimeter of the house.

DIY or hire a contractor

Your contractor can then do several things. Some of the common fixes include sealing cracks, new foundation waterproofing, installing new tile lines and even putting in a permanent sump pump system.

The pump system will actually direct the water to a small reservoir which will then pump it to the outside of your home as needed. Because this involves more extensive knowledge than cleaning gutters and drains, you'll want to err on the side of caution and hire a professional. However, many of these things can be done with you still living in the home. Ask your contractor if this is possible in your situation.

Good sump pump choices are: the Basement Watchdog 1730 GPH Battery Backup Sump Pump System, Model #BWSP. The Home Depot carries these for about $250.

The Watchdog Basement Sump Pump (BW1050) by Glentronics is another good choice, for around $169.

Another suggestion is the Wayne CDU980 3/4 HP Stainless Submersible Sump Pump, which costs under $100.

No one wants their dream to turn into a nightmare because they discover water damage in their home. Luckily, there are things you can do to fix your basement water damage, and it's possible that it can alleviated quickly and without a lot of expense.

Check the simple things first before calling in a contractor. If you still are seeing leakage, then you'll know it's time to call in the cavalry and try more extreme solutions. You can determine what is wrong and be high and dry before you know it.