There is nothing more frightening for a homeowner than the first few moments when the realization sinks in that the interior space of your home is leaking or, in the worst case scenario, flooding. Even if its the basement, you rightly realize that water does not belong in your home unattended. If you have a leaky, weeping or flooding basement every time the weather starts to turn, here are a few things you can do to help get your home completely dry again.
Sump Pump
One of the easiest and most popular ways to prevent the indoor flooding of a basement is by installing and using a sump pump. A sump pump sucks up and expels water from a given space. When installed in the basement, it works to quickly expel the water that builds up from rains and other weather related conditions. You can use it manually on a case by case basis, or if your basement consistently floods, you can set it to automatically run whenever a build up or accumulation of water is detected. By pumping out the water before it has had a chance to accumulate, sump pumps are a great preventative measure against basement flooding.
Water Proof And Weatherize Windows And Doors
If you have constant leaks in your basement, weeping walls or outright flooding, a good preventative measure would be to ensure that the doors and windows to the basement are properly weatherized for cold and wet environments. This means replacing all of the weather stripping from around the doors and windows, checking the window and door frames for any cracks, breaks or other signs of damage, and by re-caulking the window and door frames regularly to ensure that they are water tight.
Check All Piping Between House And Basement
If you have a problem with basement flooding, it is a good idea to check out the entire plumbing system of the house. There is a good chance that you simply have a leaking pipe or other fitting somewhere in the system that is running off into the basement, thus flooding it. You can probably check this your self visually by inspecting as much of the visible pipe as you can between the basement and the house, but you may need to call out a plumber to check as well.
Build Custom Ventilation To Prevent High Humidity
Remember that, by their nature, basements are high humidity environments that trap moisture in them. They do not breath and ventilate the way that above ground rooms do. This means that a leaky or wet basement may simply be the result of too much humidity in the room. A quick fix for this is the installation of a dehumidifying ventilation system that can suck out or eliminate moisture from the basement.
Posted by: valarieSuggested Reading For You
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