How To Keep Water Out Of My Basement

A wet basement is no joking matter. It’s smelly, gross, and embarrassing when you have guests over. It’s a hassle and frustrating because you know that if you try and use your wet basement for storage, your belongings will only become soggy and ultimately ruined. Our guess is that you’ve tried dehumidifiers and other DIY fixes, but none and worked and here you are.

We have good news! The good news includes the ability to use your basement again for anything from storage to entertaining. Here are two strategies to keep water out of your basement that actually work.

1. Check Your Gutters

First off, check to make sure that your current gutter system has downspouts that successfully carry water at least 10‘ away from your house during rainfall. If your downspouts don’t currently carry the water away from your house far enough, or if they don’t exist in certain sections, you need to restore those damaged or missing pieces of your gutter system as soon as possible.

The risk that a missing or damaged gutter system poses to your basement or crawlspace is that the excess water that would normally be carried away in the gutter system, is instead dumped directly onto the ground around the perimeter of your house. The excess water running and seeping down behind a basement wall causes extreme pressure to build up over time. Water can begin to seep into the basement causing bowing walls and other major interior damage.

Good news is that by simply making sure that your gutter system is in tip top shape and that it carries water at least 10‘ away from your home, you give your basement or crawlspace a better chance to escape avoidable water damage. At Stay Dry Waterproofing, we offer methods of grade work and grate work that promote the most efficient drainage and diversion of water away from your home. Learn about those services today by following this link!

2. Install The Right Drain

Next up, check the history on your home’s structure, current drainage systems, and its retaining walls. There are a few different kinds of drains that may be right for your home. There are subsurface drains or French Drains. Retaining walls should have a French Drain installed or even weeping holes to alleviate the immense pressure build up of water on the other side of your basement wall when it is raining and over time. Never heard of a French Drain? No problem! We will explain our process.

Our French Drain system consists of a trench that we dig that is filled with small rocks which allows water to dissipate through the ground and away from your basement or crawlspace. Next, we install water diverting panels in the walls themselves to make sure no floor space is lost. These panels are between the exterior of your home and the interior walls. The purpose of these panels is to catch and divert any excess water that ever sneaks into your basement again directly into the trench that we dug which carries water away from your basement.

Water intrusion is nothing to brush off, and should be taken seriously. Give us a call today to move forward in restoring and protecting your home and enjoy your basement again!

 

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