Basement Installation
How to repair a leaky basement
As you already know water is the biggest enemy of your basement. If your basement suffers from leaky walls, floors or condensation this can cause many problems for your home. If your basement has a musty odor then you may have a mold problem and this could be dangerous and expensive to remedy. Reading this article will prepare you to tackle the problem of a wet basement.
First you should go to the area you suspect to be leaking. Tape yourself a piece of plastic against the wall taping all four corners. Wait a few days and when you come back check to see if water has formed on the inside or outside of your plastic. If there is water on the inside of the plastic you have a leak problem. If you have beads of water on the outside of your plastic then you’ve got a problem with moisture in your basement.
If your are suffering from basement condensation problems there may be some simple things you can do to cure your problem.
- If you are drying clothes on a clothes line in your basement you may consider moving this outdoors when the weather permits.
- Check your washer/dryer for any leaks and proper ventilation. Check the area for leaks while dryer is running.
- Clean your lint tray often to prevent lint build up.
- Check your basement plumbing to make sure there are no leaks from upstairs.
- Check your air conditioner for leaks or blockages. It is very important to check your drain line.
Your condensation problem in your basement could also be caused by an air-flow problem. You may consider putting more vents in your basement or using an exhaust fan to remove some of the moisture and get the air moving around. If none of this seems to help your best bet would be to get a dehumidifier as this will greatly reduce the moisture in your basement.
If you have water leaking in through the walls or floors of your basement you have a much bigger problem. Rainwater running into your home could cause your foundation to crack and make it much easier for even more water to get in. The key here starts with keeping the water outside away from your home. Here is where you should start:
- Check your gutters and downspouts for any blockages. It is often that debris such as leaves, pine needles, dirt, rocks, and other random things somehow manage to get into your gutters blocking the waters path and flowing it over the edge. Clean all of your gutters and make sure your downspouts are directing the rain water a few feet away from your home. You don’t want water sitting around your foundation.
- Check the landscaping surrounding the outside of your house and make sure the ground is all sloping away from your home. You don’t want water flowing down a hill and settling alongside of your house. If there are places where water puddles you may have to fill these places in with some dirt.
- Install Foundation drains are drains at the bottom of your foundation that divert the water that gathers around your house to a storm drain or disposal area. These are usually mandatory on newer homes but if you live in an older house or a fixer upper you probably don’t have this installed.
- You may have to completely water proof your basement walls. You only want to do this if nothing else works because it is expensive and requires digging out around your foundation to get access to the buried sides of your basement walls. If you decide to water proof your walls remember to install a foundation drain while you are at it to get maximum drainage.
If you have lots of water entering your basement your last option may be to install a sump pump. You will install a sump pump in the lowest part of your basement and when your pump detects water it will turn on and pump this water up and out of your home through a pipe. There are different types of sump pumps you can choose from and each have their positives and negatives. You may consider a back-up pump in case yours fails because that could cause flooding and mold.
It’s very important to repair your leaky basement and follow these steps to keep your basement without leaks or moisture to prevent bigger and more costly problems from occurring. You will enjoy entering your basement when it’s not damp or musty smelling.
About the Author
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