4 Major Ways Water Enters Your Basement

11/10/2020 (Permalink)

Air movers on water damage in a Ogden, UT home

Nothing is more frustrating than dealing with a basement flood, especially when you can’t determine the cause. If your basement in Ogden, UT, has problems with water buildup during the rainy season, you may need to check for a few of these common problems.

4 Common Basement Problems That Can Lead To Water Damage

1.  Homes Built on Saturated Ground

When the ground is naturally moist, it can cause water to drain off into the lowest part of your property or the basement. If your home isn’t built on a floodplain, you can also check the soil moisture levels with the following tools:

• Soil moisture probe
• Tensiometer
• ET gauge

As a solution, you may want to direct water from the high points of your land to a drainage ditch by laying down tile lines.

2. Improperly Sealed Walls and Floors

Cracks in the floors or walls can easily cause a basement flood, even if there isn’t a lot of rain. In some cases, the basement tiles of the house may not have been properly sealed or damage may have occurred to the concrete. Once you determine the source, you can patch up the cracks with epoxy sealers or cement.

3. Damaged City Sewage or Drainage Systems

When a section of the city drainage system breaks or becomes plugged near your home, the water may come back up the pipes and cause a basement to become flooded. If this is the case, you may need to call a local authority to help resolve the issues.

4. Blocked Gutters and Eavestroughs

When an eavestrough becomes blocked or clogged with debris, rain may overflow to the sides of your home and seep down into the soil next to your basement. Over time, the water buildup may create weaknesses in the foundation and cause cracks to occur. To fix this problem, you may need to install a screen mesh over the gutters or routinely clean the eavestrough system.

If you experience a devastating basement flood near Ogden, UT, make sure you call a professional cleanup crew. They can help you recover from water damage and help you resolve any major issues.