Basement flooding has assumed serious proportions in United States and Canada with nearly 80,000 incidents each year and many others remaining unreported. Apart from the inconvenience and mess, floods cause structural damage and health hazards.
Simple preventive measures to combat basement flooding are undertaken by homeowners, like downspouts extension away from the foundation.  Most other solutions require professional help such as installation of flood-proof device.

This involves explanation of sump pump operation, municipal sewer system and sources of additional information. Basement flooding is a serious problem and has various negative consequences much beyond and above inconvenient disruption and household routine mess.

Recent research has cited the following impacts:-

 Chronically wet houses contribute to respiratory ailments

 Frequent basement flooding occurrences can cause long-term damage to the equipment and building not covered through insurance.

 To compensate for regular claims related to basement flooding, the insurance rates can rise.

 Also, the minimum deductibles can be significantly increased

 With the basement getting prone to frequent flooding, the value of property can depreciate

WHAT ARE THE REASONS THAT CAUSE BASEMENT TO FLOOD?

Before taking appropriate measures, it is important to identify basement flooding and its causes. These vary from problems associated with the municipal sewer systems that serve entire communities to problems within the household basement.

CAUSES FOR BASEMENT FLOODING:-

There are various reasons as to how water can enter the basement. Most likely, water in basement seeps during a period of heavy rainfall or when the snow melts rapidly during a thaw in spring season.

In such cases, your basement can get wet due to:-

 Poor drainage

 Crack or leak in the  basement walls

 Failure of foundation drains (weeping tiles)

 Plugged/leaking downspouts or overflowing eaves troughs

Basement flooding can also occur due to:-

 Wastewater back-up in sewer system (or a combination of rainwater and wastewater from the combined sewer system or sanitary sewer system)

 Blocked connection between main sewer in the street and your home

 Sump pump failure (in certain areas), used for pumping out weeping tile water

Most basements also get vulnerable to various disasters related to Natural River flooding. However, such calamities cannot be addressed by the individual homeowner.

VARIOUS MEASURES TO PREVENT BASEMENT FLOODING

Problems related to basement flooding are diagnosed best by working your way down from downspouts and eavestroughs, to the foundation and lot drainage and thereafter to the plumbing system – both beyond its connection to the municipal sewer system and inside your home. Hence, expert advice will ensure that the right and economical solution is advocated with less hassles.

Downspouts and Eavestroughs

Water simply pours into downspouts off eavestroughs. If the downspouts pump-out  water just beside the foundation, it directly drains to weeping tiles, easily overloading the home’s drainage.

Ensure that the downspouts extend about 6 feet (1.8 meters) from basement wall. Also ensure that the water doesn’t get drained towards the neighbor’s basement walls. It needs to drain toward the street away from the house, the back lane or the rear yard.

If the downspouts get connected to the home’s weeping tile or sewer system, it simply disconnects them.

For this, it is important that you start cleaning debris from the eavestroughs on a regular basis. In case they overflow even when they are clean, replace them with larger size downspouts and eavestroughs.

Lot Grading Technique

If the land in and around the home starts sloping towards the foundation, rainwater first heads straight for the basement weeping tile, causing foundation drainage system to overload. Over a period of time, the land around the home settles and slopes towards the foundation. If the lot slopes inward, grade the lot and fill in the lot for about 6 feet or 1.8 meters around the foundation, this will ensure the land to slope away from the house.

It is important to build up a ground in and around the house such that the water starts draining from the basement walls. It’s also nice to examine the driveways, decks, patios and sidewalks. These can either cause water to drain back towards basement walls or settle over a stretch of time.

It is best to extend the downspouts so that the water doesn’t get collected next to windows and basement walls and just flows away from the house.

Proper form of drainage helps in:-

 Reducing the water amount flowing to the main sewer system and to the home’s sewer system and also reduce the sewer backup risk.

 Reduce water seepage into home through cracks in basement walls or through basement windows

 Maintain stable moisture content of the soil under and around the house so as to decrease cracking and shifting chances.

 In case the water collects next to basement, it could make its way to footings supporting the basement walls.

 Moisture causes the footings to settle or heave

 Just extend your sump pump’s life by decreasing the quantum of work it requires to do.

 Ensure that any drainage related improvements does not cause the water to flow into neighbor’s property.

DEVICES FOR BASEMENT FLOOD PROOFING

If there is an overload in the neighborhood’s or your home drainage system, you would still be in a position to prevent sewage and rain water from backing up into the basement through installation of either single or multiple flood proofing devices, such as back flow valves or sump pumps.

Every installation is unique in its own and few devices (such as back flow valves) would require a plumbing permit. Before you proceed with any installation, check with your qualified plumber or municipal office.

DRAINAGE SYSTEM OF A SUMP PIT

The drainage system of the sump pit involves a sump pump, a discharge pipe and a sump pit. Set into basement floor, the sump pit starts collecting water from the basement’s weeping tiles. Using a discharge pipe, the pump pushes water outside the house.

The sump pump discharge pipe should be placed such that:-

 It drains water into the segment of the property where the water could be absorbed easily, such as flower bed or lawn

 Fails to direct water onto neighboring streets, sidewalks, lanes or properties

SUMP PIT

Each year, after freeze up, make it a point to clean the pit. Drainage of weeping tile would carry small amount of debris, sand and soil into a pit from the basement foundation. If the water is logged for a long time, it remains in the pit causing a musty smell. If this is the case, pit flushing is extremely easy and best solution. It can be done by by streaming fresh water till the pump removes the stale water.

SUMP PUMP

Each spring, test and check your pump before the rains start. To trigger the pump’s operation, simply stream water into the pit.

At least once a year, remove and clean your pump. Before cleaning or handling, it is vital to disconnect pump from the power source. Very often, check the pit so that you can ensure that it is debris-free. Most pumps contain screen that covers the water intake. Hence, always make it a point to clean up the screen.

DISCHARGE PIPE OF SUMP PUMP

Simply check the place as to where the discharge pipe can leave the house. In case the pipe appears to discharge right against basement walls, the water drains down into weeping tiles, continuing its recycling process through the system. Regularly check the discharge point to ensure there is nothing that would block the flow.

In case the pump frequently runs in winter and if the resulting ice causes hazardous conditions on the sidewalks and the lawn, it is better to take the help of the municipal office.

BACKWATER VALVE

Backwater valve is a wonderful device which blocks sewage in the main overloaded sewer line from backing up into the basement.

If the sewer backs up, then the valve closes automatically. Here, it is important to place a properly installed backwater valve so that the sewage backup stops and hardly comes out through other basement outlets, such as laundry tubs, showers, toilets and sinks. Always ensure that at all times, you can get at the valve.

Regularly check the valve and remove those materials which would prevent the proper operation of the valve. Normally, you would need an inspection and permit for installation of sump pit and backwater valve. As the basement floor would be partly dug up and as it is important to have proper item placement, seek a qualified contractor for plumbing purposes.

MAINTENANCE OF PLUMBING FIXTURE

Always have the qualified plumber inspect the plumbing fixtures and flood-proofing devices (i.e. floor drains, backwater valves, sump pumps etc.) regularly to ensure proper operation. For more safety guidelines and detailed information, check the operating instructions, or simply request the plumber to explain the system details.

ADDITIONAL MEASURES OF PROTECTION

You can also consider many additional measures as a way of flood protection.

BACKUP SUMP PUMP

Very often, severe storms are accompanied with power blackouts. Backup sump pump powered by a battery could be a highly prudent investment. Most pumps are made to simply fit in besides the main area of sump pump and also have the audible alarm, which warns the failure of the main pump, so that one could attend to its replacement or repair. There also are numerous water-powered sump pumps available which run by water and which flows through pump impeller.

BASEMENT FURNISHINGS AND FINISHES

In any event where the basement flooding risk appears possible, it is highly advisable to install impermeable wall and floor finishes like ceramic tiles, to make the cleanup easier and to lessen the damage. Ensure the basement furniture includes legs that keep furniture fabrics above flood waters.

A good alternative to complete broadloom are area rugs as they could be properly cleaned and removed in any flood damage event.

HOW DO FRENCH DRAINS PREVENT THE FLOODING OF BASEMENT

Also known as trench drain, French drain is a simple way to direct the water away from home foundations. It could be buried either underneath the basement floor or alongside the exterior foundation wall or the perimeter wall.

HOW CAN A FRENCH DRAIN BE CONSTRUCTED

A French drain, in simple terms, is a ditch that is slightly sloped away from foundation walls and is downhill. Thereafter, the ditch is lined or filled with gravel or rocks which permit any water to initially pool and then get absorbed and channeled away to the surrounding soils. To know more about French Drains, please read our post published on September 11 – “A basic look at French drains”.

Though one can further simplify the concept, the actual form of construction appears bit complicated. A French drain construction needs to initially consider a properly calculated slope that allows the type of piping material to be used and for proper drainage. You also need to think about the form of fill, like gravel, with the provision of access and with the pipe laying.

Thanks to selective landscaping, the entire system is kept in place. However, it still permits proper distribution of water.

Though the experienced and the do-it-yourself ones would like to tackle French drain installation project, it is better to appoint a professional for such task. In this manner, if there is anything which goes wrong, it could get corrected without unnecessary additional expense or without any worries.

On the other hand, in an under construction stage, majority of new houses now have the installation of French drain, externally running around the foundation walls.

WHERE DOES THE WATER GO

There are various ways by which French drain water can get distributed. For instance, it could get tied to the existing downspout. However, the water flushes back towards the house.

The water can be let out to the street club alternatively. However, this won’t be allowable under certain ordinances and city bylaws. Help from a professional will help to overcome such issues.
With the help of a larger lot, it becomes possible to use a French drain to direct water to the lawn. However, in reality, this simply moves wet region to the different area of the yard. Maintain high care against directing it into your neighbor’s yard.

LAW AND FRENCH DRAINS

While French drain appears to be a nice idea to prevent basement flooding, if you don’t do the initial checking, you may end in hot water or greater trouble. Before you dig, ensure you have the requisite permission. Some bylaws and area city codes prevent the building of drainage systems which affect the property of another neighbor adversely.

French drain construction puts unwanted water into the next-door neighbor’s yard, causing unwanted problems. Before you dig, you are also required to call local utility firms to avoid any pipes, underground cables, etc.

Overall, this project is better left to be completed under the able-guidance of a professional. All in all, hiring a black hole operator for digging and a surveyor for getting the slope right could be the best bet.

HOW CAN BATTERY BACK-UP PUMP OR FRENCH DRAIN GENERATOR BRIDGE GAP DURING POWER OUTAGES

There are many instances where the primary sump pump fails due to power outage or just wear and tear. An emergency backup sump pump is the best and the most intelligent solution to the problems that may arise due to the sudden failure of the primary sump pump.

Depending upon the provision of both water and electrical power in the basement area, one can choose to install either the Battery Backup Sump Pump System or the Water Powered Sump Pump System.  The battery backup sump pump system is powered by DC electricity and relies upon an included battery charger to maintain full battery charge always. It also provides additional capacity. During the power outage, the water level rises to activate the emergency backup sump pump. This is easy to install and sufficient to prevent basement flooding in over 99% of temporary power cuts.

Water powered sump pump systems are the most worry-free backup sump pump technology available in the market today. It requires zero maintenance with just a simple test every 6 months to check the unit functionality. Instead of using electrical power, these pumps rely on the force generated by the flowing city water to suck the water out of the basement sump. These are installed as independent units and can remove nearly 2 gallons of water from the basement for unlimited time as long as there is no interruption from the city water is faced.

Another alternative which is generally not the most practical solution is the installation of the automatic/ gas powered generators to keep the basement dry even during floods.

Check with a professional in your area who can help you take the best and effective measure to keep your basement dry even during the rains.  If you are a resident of Pennsylvania suffering from basement problems and if your house is located in any of these regions, call us at 800 771 – 3244 or visit us at http://www.keystonebasementsystems.com/about-us.html. Schedule your appointment and seek solution to your basement woes, now!

“Keystone Basement Systems, Inc. is a foundation repair company. KBS is not, however, a engineering firm and should not be considered as such.”