When it comes to basement leaks, sometimes people do not understand the severity that a leak could bring. This is why leak detection is important.
For example; what could start out as just a wet basement carpet could lead to basement leaking under the front porch. When basement leaking is not resolved it can lead to problems like basement floor sweating. Can water come up through the concrete basement floor?
Furthermore, mold can build up as well, which can cause health problems. As such, as soon as a basement leak is detected, basement seepage solutions should be looked at.
For example; when someone has a leak from a pipe, the pipe should be sealed. However, sometimes simply sealing the pipe may not be enough, since the leak may be coming from an internal issue. As such, this is where professionals need to come in, and sometimes, the pipe may need to be replaced entirely. This is where an individual should ask the following question. “Where can I find basement waterproofing in my area?” From there, a basement floor leak repair can be fixed, so that the damp basement won’t be damp anymore.
It is important to keep up proper maintenance on your home. Standard checks and inspections throughout the home and the systems operating throughout it are essential to keeping your home safe and in properly working order. And by scheduling these routine inspections, you could end up saving significant costs as well. For example, figuring out how to fix basement leaks, and then doing so, will be immensely cheaper than ignoring those leaks and eventually dealing with a flood or other serious issues that would stem from those leaks.
How to fix basement leaks and flood issues
Hopefully you are able to identify any potential problems in your basement, plumbing system, pipes, or foundation before you get to the point that you are dealing with a flood. Finding out how to fix basement leaks, though a potentially big project, will ultimately be a better problem to deal with than a full out flood. There are plenty of companies that specialize in repairing cracks in foundation walls, finding water proofing solutions to avoid a wet basement, or that can advise your best course of action, if you are handling it yourself.
But if you have missed that window of first learning how to fix basement leaks or calling in a professional, and you now have a more serious situation on your hands, don’t be too hard on yourself. Almost all, at more than 98%, of all the homes that have basements will wind up dealing with some sort of water damage at some point. It is almost an inevitability, unfortunately.
When you have to deal with water damage
In that unfortunate case that you are dealing with a wet basement, there are a few things to keep in mind. First of all, you need to take action right away in order to save the most items. The clean up should ideally take place in the first 24 to 48 hours after the incident. If items such as towels, bedding, upholstery, and similar such materials are not completely dry by that 48 hour mark, you will likely need to do away with them, as they will begin to mold. After the initial clean up and dry out, it is a good idea to contact a professional cleaning crew, or at least have your basement properly inspected, to be sure there is no mold growing anywhere that you missed, as a result of the water damage.
Preventing floods and water damage
Nature has a way of doing exactly what it wants. So, of course, there will be times that no amount of preparation or prevention can stop a force of nature or the damage that results. But when it comes to what you do have control over, there are elements that you can incorporate around your home that you may not have even thought would have any effect. For example, plants around the yard should be situated at least two feet from the foundation of the house, and low enough in the soil so that they do not direct water toward the foundation.
It is also important to have a good sump pump installed, whether it is submersible or a pedestal pump. This pump will carry away any excess water that would cause problems for the foundation of the house by leaking into the basement. The water gathers in a holding tank and then is pumped out to an area where it will not be a problem, and in some cases, might in fact be beneficial elsewhere.
Keeping the foundation of your home solid, dry, and crack-free is essential to the successful functioning of the home as a whole. Putting in the time to be prepared will end up being worth it if just one flood or water damage event can be prevented.
