As a homeowner, one of the scariest things that you can run into is having water in your basement. By understanding the most common causes that could let water seep into your basement, you can identify the problem quickly and get it fixed before it gets worse.
Flooding
One of the leading causes of water in a basement is flooded. Whenever the groundwater around your home is unable to absorb the water due to too much coming down, the water will sit on the surface of the soil. If your home does not have good drainage around it, that water can flow right into your basement. It’s necessary to utilize a sump pump to remove the water from your basement before it starts to damage your home.
Broken Water Heater
One component in your basement that holds water is your water heater. There is a valve on the bottom of the heater that allows you to drain it. Unfortunately, sometimes the gasket for this valve may give way and cause the water heater to leak. This problem can be easily identified by seeing the leak coming out of the valve or seeing where the water is leaking onto the floor. This problem can be fixed by putting a bucket underneath the water heater or using a hose to drain it completely.
Burst Pipe
One of the most common causes that water restoration experts deal with is pipes that have burst. In the cold winter weather, a home still needs to be heated to keep the water pipes warm. If it’s not, the pipes will actually freeze up. This will cause the pipes to push out and potentially create a leak. Whenever the ice turns back to water, there will be water shooting out of the leak. It’s best to shut off the water supply to your pipe and get it replaced before turning it back on.
Cracked Walls or Floors
Over time, the movement in soil or the structure of your home can cause your basement walls and floors to crack. When these cracks occur, moisture will seep into them. Most of the time, you’ll notice a white film near the crack that indicates that moisture is getting in. However, when crafts get big or when there’s a lot of rain outside, the water can seep through the crack and into your basement. You’ll need to seal up the crack in order to stop the leak.
Open Floor Drains
Many older homes have open floor drains. While these can be convenient for removing unwanted water, they can create a real hazard when there’s a lot of rain outside. Whatever the soil gets too full to absorb more rainwater, that water will sit on the surface. The water that’s backed up will be pushed up through your open drain and into your basement. Closing up your open floor drain is a necessity to prevent this issue.
Finding out that there’s water leaking into your basement is not something any homeowner wants to come home to. However, by understanding the most common sources of water leaks, you can identify the problem quickly. The quicker you can identify the problem, the quicker you can get it fixed.
