Some Tips on Wet Basements

As a general contractor I am constantly presented with people concerned by wet basements as they think it's an expensive disaster. True, some basements allow water to leak in because of a serious problem but, in my experience, most basement water problems are easily fixed.

How does basement drainage work?

First, you must understand how your basement is designed to deal with water. The typical house foundation is surrounded by something called "weeping tile". This is a pipe with holes around its circumference, buried around the bottom of the basement walls. This hose is used to carry the water that would saturate the ground around your basement either to your street's storm drains or down to a sump pump which sends the water to the drain or out a pipe into a culvert. If the water is kept away from your basement walls and foundation then your basement will stay dry.

Easy Fixes

In order to solve this problem you must discover why the water is there in the first place. Most houses are built on the highest point on their lot, primarily to avoid water pooling beneath them. Therefore, it's not ground water that usually concerns us but rainwater. If your downspouts are not effectively carrying water away from the foundation it will settle there and eventually enter the basement walls. Downspouts should be extended to they carry water at least 3-4 feet from the foundation.

If your downspouts are functioning correctly and you live in a region that experiences snowfall accumulations then look at the landscaping around your house. Where soil meets the foundation the ground must slope away from the house so water runs off. Gardens placed against a basement wall are great water collection points.

These are the typical sources of water coming into your basement.

The Bad News

If your water problem is caused by inoperative weeping tile it's time to break out the checkbook as it's an expensive fix. You'll have to hire a competent basement waterproofing contractor who will excavate around the foundation, repair the weeping tile and waterproof the exterior of the basement walls. This is the only way to properly fix weeping tile.

Good luck!