Mt. Juliet, Murfreesboro, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville, TN
Water leaking into your basement can be more than just a mess to clean up, but an ongoing issue that causes damage to your home or even your health. Different factors contribute to the nuisance of water leaking into your basement. Over time, the water could erode soil outside your home, compromise the foundation of your home, or cause mold growth in your basement, which can be hazardous to your health. Not to mention, water in your basement could damage or ruin your belongings. Water leaks into your basement may not show up for years and may start small, but could be caused by a faulty drainage system from backfill dirt, clogged drains, drain pipe breakdowns, hydrostatic pressure, or footings drains that have malfunctioned. Water will find its way into your basement through the smallest area and eventually can turn into a flood, leaving you a mess to deal with.
Backfill dirt is typically used to surround the foundation of a home after construction. The problem with backfill dirt is it’s not as firm as it was before cultivating it and stirring it up. When it rains, water absorbs quicker in soil that is backfilled, and builds up around your foundation or basement. If the drainage pipes around your footings are clogged or broken down, water will begin collecting and seeping into your basement, which is known as the bowl effect. One solution to this issue is to excavate the soil, and then create a “positive side” waterproofing treatment on the exterior wall of the basement and install a new drainage system.
Clogged or broken down drains are common among older homes. Initially, when a home is constructed, and drains are installed around the footings of a home, there is some filter used to lessen the likelihood of debris entering the drains, such as mesh fabric or small rocks, which act as a filter. However, overtime, this method begins to fail, and it’s nearly impossible to monitor the effectiveness of a drainpipe that is buried, until you already have water entering your basement. As a draining system begins to fail, water will pool alongside the footings and basement wall and eventually seep into the basement through hydrostatic pressure. Malfunctioning drainpipes will lead you down the road to repairs.
The first line of defense to preventing water from entering your basement is a waterproofing method. This is typically the least expensive solution to keeping your basement dry and simply involves applying a waterproof coating on the interior basement walls. However, this method may not completely solve the issue of water entering your basement and typically requires another measure of waterproofing to ensure your basement stays dry. Another option is to install a French drain, which uses a sump pump method of automatically pumping out any water that collects around the outside footings of the basement wall. This method has been known to be most effectively, although more costly than other repairs mentioned. Knowing that method of repair is best for your issue is best-left to a trained professional, who can evaluate your water problem and determine what method is best for you.
If you are in need of leaky basement repairs or estimates and you live in the Murfreesboro, Nashville, Knoxville or Chattanooga areas give us a call for your free consultation!