The weather can be very unpredictable in Ohio. January can have freezing ice and snow, or a warm spell can mean rain and a lot of water leaking into your basement. The freezing and then flooding can really cause cracks in a foundation to get much worse.
For the United States, unpredictable weather is not uncommon. Northeast Ohio homeowners experience many weather changes throughout the year. From freezing temperatures to torrential rains, the region can experience all the high and lows of weather changes.
As a homeowner, the unpredictability of the seasons can be enjoyable if your house is a new construction or a fairly new house. For the older home, where the foundation sealant has all but disappear, and the contraction and expansion of the soil have made crevices along the foundation, torrential rains do not have the same level of enjoyment.
Many families around the country have woken up to a flooded basement. The water level is dangerous, and the fear of electrocution is very real. How did this happen? They ask. The reasons can be numerous.
- Drainage problems
- Spouting and gutter problems
- Lack of a foundation sealant
- Bursting pipes
- Unleveled drainage
A torrential rain can become a problem right away if your gutters and spouting are damaged. A pool of water can sit by the foundation in a manner of minutes and eventually find its way to the basement of your home.
What are some of the things you need to do in case of water seeping to the basement?
- If there is a damaged gutter, you need to replace it right away, and you need to make sure the water flow is uninterrupted. If there are missing spouts, replace them, making sure the water drainage is at least ten feet away from the foundation of the home. Cleaning the gutters once a year should be enough to maintain them clean of leaves, twigs or other debris.
- Many houses have great drainage. The front and backyard slopes take the majority of rain water away from the foundation. If you have issues with water sitting around the foundation of the home, leveling and creating a slope can be done to fix the problem.
- A damaged pipe leaking slowly in the basement or from any other part of the home can cause tremendous damage quickly. If you have a leaky faucet in the kitchen or bathroom, you can be sure the water is going down to the basement and causing damage.
- Flower beds that trap water around the foundation are a common occurrence with horrible consequences. Leveling the flower beds and allowing the water to flow away from the foundation is not a difficult chore for homeowners to do.
- Testing the sump pump to make sure it’s working properly should be done yearly. Is the battery back up in working order? Have you tested it to make sure it is? The tests you can do are simple and quick. The damage done to the basement is costly and can take time to repair and replace.
The extra living space a nice waterproof basement can give you and your family are endless. If you are thinking about finishing the basement for a home office, a playroom for the kids, or a nice family room, waterproofing the basement and then finishing it can give you those rooms to enjoy for many years to come.
At Pioneer Basement Solutions, we have an experienced team to waterproof the basement of your home. We can provide you with a hassle-free consultation and quote. With an A+ accreditation at the BBB and a long history in the community, we are the team to call for all you basement waterproofing needs.
