Basement flooding can be quite stressful and difficult to deal with. Not only that, but insurance statistics show that it can be quite costly as well, with 1 foot of water costing about $10,000 worth of damage. As such, you’d want to do everything you can in order to prevent basement floods and avoid having to go through the trouble of draining, cleanup, and repairs. So, we’ll be taking a look at tips and recommendations regarding basement flood prevention to save you all that trouble:
Cleaning and Maintaining Your Gutters and Downspouts
Before you make any major changes and repairs to your home in order to flood-proof your basement, it’s best to start off by checking your existing rainwater management features, namely the gutters and downspouts. Make sure that your gutters are cleaned thoroughly and aren’t blocked by leaves and other debris. Your downspouts should be working properly and should be facing away from your home or foundation.
Lawn Grading
If you’re not familiar about lawn grading, it’s basically a landscaping technique or method wherein you create a slope in your lawn in order to facilitate proper drainage. As you can imagine, improper levelling or having a flat lawn would end up collecting water or at least won’t be able to redirect the flow of rain and flood water. You’d want your yard to slope away from your house in order for it to naturally flow away instead of pooling towards your home and finding its way inside your basement. It’s also important to regrade your lawn regularly in order to preserve the slope, especially before a storm or the rainy days of the year.
Checking for Cracks and Structural Issues
Even with proper grading, if your house’s foundation has cracks, water will still be able to seep and leak into your basement. So, if you’re expecting a storm, it might be the best time to check on your foundations for visual cracks on the exterior of your foundation and the walls and floor of your basement and have them filled in with epoxy or concrete. This may be difficult if your basement walls and floors are covered up, so you can call a professional to do the inspection and fix and fill any cracks.
Window Well Covers
Homes having basements with windows should take extra precaution when there’s an expected heavy downpour. Having a water-tight basement window isn’t enough, it’s best to add another layer of flooding protection by installing window well covers that can keep out not only rain and flood water but also leaves and pests. You can choose clear window well covers to allow light to permeate through your basement.
Sump Pumps
Lastly, you’d want to invest in an automatic sump pump in your basement. Basically, sump pumps suck water from the basement and foundation in order to direct them elsewhere. Also, take note that sump pumps only work with electricity, so investing in backup generator could help you prevent flooding even when there’s power outage due to a storm.
Conclusion
Basement flooding is hard to avoid, especially during a heavy storm, but by following these precautionary measures, you’d be able to improve your chances of preventing your basement from getting flooded. However, if your basement does get flooded despite all the preparations, rest assured that it can easily be remedied; you can find always find a contractor in Utah that offers affordable and quality basement finishing, remodeling, repairs, and even waterproofing services if needed.
