Wet Basement? Look up!

Wet basements can be very frustrating. How about when you are out shopping, or even worse out of town, and you know there is a deluge that is probably wreaking havoc on your basement. Thinking about what must be going on can consume a person, and then finally you head down the stairs to see what could be bad as you hope for the best.

One common cause for wet basements is actually your roof water. Yeah, roof water management is more important than most people think. Overflowing gutters can pelt water right close to your foundation at a very heavy rate. Downspouts that are disconnected from extensions that lead the water away underground or away from the home on the surface can have the effect of a couple garden hoses running wide open right down your foundation walls.

There are a few common signs that I look for that relate to roof water when I inspect foundations for water seepage sources. First, if your mulch or the dirt around your home is impressed or eroded away in a straight line parallel to the foundation, look up. This is a typical sign of gutters overflowing. Also look to see if there is a lot of gravel or pebbles along the ground close to the foundation that have washed up to the surface in those areas. If so that could mean the problem has been going on for a while. You may be able to simply clean out your gutters and be fine. Watch after the next heavy rain, if you still have cascading water off of the roof you may need to go to an oversized gutter. Or it could be the downspout drain.

Another sign I look for is mulch or dirt that has sunken and or eroded away around the downspout. This could mean the drain is clogged underground and is backing up, causing the water to wash away the soil around the drain. Cleaning underground downspout lines is very important and often overlooked. Have your underground downspout lines checked or cleaned by a drain professional every year or two to prevent that water back up and keep it out of your basement.

If your downspouts are simply running out on the surface, five to six feet away from the foundation to an area where the water will run off and away on to your lawn or landscape should do fine. You want to get at least four feet out to get past the "soft zone" which was created when the home was built. This is where soil from construction is mixed up and was back filled around the home. This soil will stay soft for many many years. It's pretty shocking how easy it is to dig by hand all the way down a sixty year old foundation. Try that out in the middle of the lawn and you are lucky to get past 18 inches!

If your roof water is well managed you will greatly reduce your chances of a leaky basement. If all is well and you still have a leak, call a waterproofing professional!

I would be happy to personally visit your home and asses your basement conditions free of charge. If professional repair is needed, I will review your options and make a recommendation. Call me at 1-877-321-4889 or...

Visit our website for more information at www.pioneerbasementsolutions.com

The #1 myth about what causes a wet basement

The number one thing most people are told to do, think they should do and try to do to stop their basements from getting water is a result of the #1 myth about what causes a wet basement. That is "the dirt around my house isn't sloped enough".

Over the past fifteen years I have probably visited around 5,000 homes and I must say, over 90% of them have an "OK" grade, or slope around the house and the problem they are having in their basement has nothing to do with the slope of the dirt around their foundation.

If the dirt has any slope to it at all it is most likely good, even if it is flat is it probably fine. Only severely negative slopes toward the house that extend far enough away from the house to grab rain water that flows on the surface is actually a problem.

Piling dirt up too high can actually create worse issues. If you do not raise the level of the waterproof coating on your foundation first, stacking dirt up can allow some moisture to wick through the wall and cause problems in your basement.

If you do have a problem with the slope of the dirt around your home you will see signs up high on your basement wall (where the water that runs on the surface toward the foundation enters your basement wall). Those signs will appear right at the "grade" or dirt level and trail down from there. These signs are typically damp spots, mold and or mildew, peeling paint or actual water that trails down on your basement wall.

I would be happy to personally visit your home and asses your basement conditions free of charge. If professional repair is needed, I will review your options and make a recommendation. Call me at 1-877-321-4889 or...

visit our website @ www.pioneerbasementsolutions.com