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Basement Waterproofing
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Basement waterproofing should begin outside your home. Look for areas that contribute to the collection of water next to your foundation. Fill low areas so water flows away from your foundation.
Most wet basements or crawl spaces are caused by surface water which is not adequately drained away from the foundation wall. Sources of this water include the following:
- Roof water if no guttering is present
- Roof water if the guttering leaks or overflows because of clogging from leaves and bird nests
- Roof water if the downspouts (leaders) are clogged or do not have sufficient means at their outlets to drain water away from the foundation wall. Frequently, a downspout ends at the corner of the house without a splash pad (splash block) or elbow (shoe), leaving roof water to concentrate at that point and seep into the soil next to the foundation wall.
- Excessive watering of flower beds and shrubbery around the foundation wall. Once the upper soil layer or mulch bed air spaces are filled with water, the excess water either runs off or seeps into the ground next to the wall. Prolonged and excessive watering can contribute a large amount of water to crawl spaces or basements.
- Rainwater runoff from the adjacent lawn, walks, or driveway areas if the landscaping forces water to drain toward the house instead of away. If surface runoff is directed toward the foundation wall, this water will pond and eventually soak into the soil, thus becoming a potential source of basement or crawl space water. Downspout splash pads are not very effective if they drain onto a backward-draining slope toward the foundation wall. Return to tips >>
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