Flooded Basement Guide: Avoiding & Preparing For

With the average cost of damage from a flooded basement ranging between $3000-$5000, you are safe to assume that it will be much cheaper for you to prepare to prevent having a flooded basement in the first place. Not saying that unfinished, or finished basements can always be protected from flooding, but prevention can get you a long way as it can in most situations. Also, being prepared to address the problem if it happens is just as important so that you can react quickly so that less flood damage will occur to your home costing you much more in the long run. Additionally, if you take care to prevent a flooded basement, you will also avoid other problems associated with flooding such as respiratory problems, depreciation of property value, rise of insurance rates, or long term damage to your home.

A big part of preventing a flooded basement is understanding why basements flood in the first place.  First of all you must make sure there are no leaks or cracks in your basement walls.  Water loves to seep through cracks.  You should also make sure that you have proper lot drainage.  If your draining system is poor, then it will do little to prevent flood damage.  Another reason your basement may flood is failure of weeping tiles or foundation drains, or overflowing/leaking/plugged downspouts. Yes these may all seem like simple fixes, but in reality making sure these things are always clear of debree and functioning property is a huge step towards preventing a flooded basement.  Is a connection blocked from your home to the main sewer?  Is there a backup in the sewer system?  If you have a sump pump, has it failed, or is it clogged?  All of these could be reasons your basement floods.  And of course there may be a river close to your home that may flood that you cannot individually address yourself.  So understanding that the factors surrounding your basement can be 99% of the problem is definitely the first step in preventing your basement from flooding.

Now that you understand why and how water can make its way into your basement, you must now find a way to make sure water does not have a way to enter into your basement. The following tips can help you to accomplish this:

Lot Grading
Does the land around the house slope inward in regards to your foundation?  If so, what will happen when is rains is a possible overloading of the foundation drainage system.  Always be aware of the land around your home, as it can actually change overtime.  It may not slope towards the foundation now, but it could gradually slope over time.   If this ever should happen to your land, you will want to fill the land in (or grade the lot) so that the land slopes away from the home at least six feet. Just always be aware of any piece of the land surrounding your foundation, including your driveway, patio, etc.  They can all fall into the same sloping action causing the water to drain towards your foundation in a way that would cause basement flooding.

Eavestroughs and Downspouts
When it rains water falls from the eavestroughs and goes into the downspouts. If your downspouts dump the flow of water immediately next to the homes foundation, the water will fall directly by the weeping tile which can be an exact recipe for overloading the drainage of the house. If you extend the downspouts six feet for more away from the basement wall, this will help a great but. It is also important to be a good neighbor, and be sure not to create a new problem for your neighbor while attempting to get rid of your own flooding issue.  Yes, you want to make sure newly directed water drains away from not only your home, but your neighbors as well.  Drain the water towards a place that won’t be damages like the street, the back of your yard, the woods, etc. Are your downspouts hooked to the houses sewer, or the weeping tile?  Disconnect them.  Also upkeep regularly by cleaning the eavestroughs.  Once they are clean, if you notice that they still overflow, this is a sign that  you should get a bigger size.

If your drainage system still overloads
In the situation your drainage system still overloads, you can go a step farther and install a flood proofing device.  Sump pumps and back flow valves are examples.  Be sure to have these items installed by a licenses plumber.  Check your sump pump regularly to make sure it is free of debree and in working condition. You should even have a licences plumber to make sure these items are working properly every so often.  Having a backup sump pump is also another great preventative measure.

Other preventative measures
Having the proper finishing in your basement is great as well.  This will make cleaning up the after math so much easier. If you have ceramic tile basement flooring, your job will be so much easier as it is easier to disinfect as opposed to carpeting which you may even have to replace.  It’s a lot easier on your pocket to clean tile, that to replace carpet.  Also a great preventative step when it comes to being ready for a basement flooding is having insurance to protect you.  At the end of the day, if you are properly insured, it will give you peace of mind.