How Can You Prevent a Flooded Basement
Basement flooding is a serious problem, one that can lead to extensive property damage, electrical damage, and great expense to repair. Because you undoubtedly don’t want to worry about this in the future, you should know how you can prevent a flooded basement.
There is nothing that you can do to control outside elements that may lead to flooding, like natural disasters. But rest assured that the majority of basement flooding is completely avoidable through the use of proper home care practices. Let’s discuss 5 things that you can do to keep your basement clean and dry.
Prevent a Flooded Basement with These 5 Tips
Like with most other things that ensure a dry and healthy home, prevention is the key. By preventing flooding in the first place, you can save yourself countless hours of frustration and high water remediation bills. Follow these tips to keep your basement dry.
1. Keep Your Gutters and Downspouts Clear and Intact
If you ensure that your gutters are free of debris and your downspouts are positioned away from the foundation, you’re helping to ensure that rainwaters will not pool against the sides of your home.
You might need to get a downspout extension because the perfect length for a downspout is 3 feet. Most ordinary downspouts don’t meet this length requirement.
Periodically, you should check out your gutters and clean them of debris if necessary.
2. Have Your Foundation Inspected
A cracked foundation will allow water into your basement like nothing else, so it’s important to make sure that your foundation is in solid condition. Routinely look at your foundation from the exterior, your basement walls, and the floors of your basement to identify cracks early on – before damage can get extensive.
If you see any cracks upon inspection, or you want to get a professional’s keen eye on your side, make sure to contact a contractor who can help identify and remedy problems in your foundation.
3. Maintain Your Sump Pump
Routine sump pump maintenance is essential to prevent a flooded basement, as sump pumps are the most common culprit behind basement flooding. One big problem with this is that, since sump pumps are so commonly the cause behind this issue, homeowner’s insurance policies may not always cover such flooding.
If you know that bad weather is on the horizon, you should be proactive by making sure that your sump pump is working and plugged in. It might be worth your time to get a backup generator for the sump pump, just in case.
4. Get Window Well Covers
Window well covers are an incredibly effective tool for waterproofing a basement. They are secured over basement windows and latched onto the foundation of a home to prevent windows from becoming a floodgate for rainwaters to get into your home.
5. Landscape Your Yard Appropriately
If the slant of your yard slants downward toward your home, you greatly increase the likelihood of unwanted water getting into your basement. Landscaping your yard is one of the more time-consuming methods of safeguarding your basement against water, but it’s worth it. You may need to re-grade your yard or install a drainage system to ensure adequate drainage of water away from your home.
When you are a proactive homeowner, you are much more likely to prevent a flooded basement from becoming a problem.
