How To Prevent Basement Flooding

Does your basement flood every time it rains? Call Gladiator Services at (201) 512-8972 to explore options for protecting your home against water damage.

Your home’s basement serves many purposes, but whether you use it for storage or want to remodel it into a family room or guest space, it’s critical that it stays dry. If you discover puddles of water on the basement floor every time it rains, you need to take action to prevent widespread damage and mold that can harm your family’s health.

Local homeowners who want to know how to prevent basement flooding turn to Gladiator Services, the leader in sump pump services in Hillsdale, NJ. Their expert insight and the following preventive measures can help reduce the risk of trouble and protect your home’s foundation from water damage.

Invest in a Sump Pump 

Sump pumps remove water from your home and pump it away from the foundation. The pump rests in a pit at the lowest part of the basement and turns on automatically when the water level reaches a certain point. When your basement has a higher-than-average risk of flooding, installing a sump pump can prevent significant water damage. 

Sump pumps can connect to a power outlet or run on a battery. Choose a system with a battery backup to ensure the pump works during power outages, which often occur during storms, when flooding is most likely to occur. Keeping up with sump pump maintenance, including removing debris from the pit to prevent clogs, is critical to the device working as it should when you need it to. 

Maintain Septic and Sewer Lines 

The last thing you want is for your basement to flood with sewage from a clogged or malfunctioning sewer or septic pipe. If this happens, it’s a significant health hazard that requires professional cleanup and remediation to ensure your home is sanitary. 

Having your septic tank emptied on a regular schedule can help stop a harmful backup and keep the system in good condition. If your home connects to the municipal sewer system, watch for signs of a clog; schedule cleaning immediately if the drains become sluggish or you notice unusual odors. Professional sewer line cleaning can prevent a sewer backup and help experts identify potential problems, like pipe cracks or leaks, that require professional attention and repairs. 

Install a Backwater Valve 

Another way to keep sewage and contaminated rainwater out of your basement is to add a backwater valve to the sewer line. The valve ensures that wastewater flows out but cannot flow back in. This system prevents basement flooding and the risks that come with it. 

Correct Grading Problems 

If your yard does not have the correct grade or slope, water is more likely to flow toward your home than away from it, causing basement flooding. Therefore, one of the first things you should check when you want to know how to prevent basement flooding is whether your property has the correct grade. Ideally, the yard should slope away from your home at a rate of about six inches every 10 feet. 

A professional landscaper can regrade your lawn and add additional soil if needed to create the correct slope to help the basement stay dry. Instead of the water flowing toward the foundation and saturating the walls and floor, it will go toward a drainage system.

Landscape Carefully 

How you landscape your property with plants can make a big difference in how dry your basement remains during rainstorms. As a general rule, you should plant trees and large shrubs at least 10 feet from the foundation to ensure the roots don’t cause cracks in the walls or damage pipes and drainage systems. 

If you mulch flower beds around your foundation, avoid piling the mulch up against the concrete. Mulch retains moisture, and in time, the wet material can cause water to saturate the basement walls and cause cracks that allow water in.

Don’t Put Off Repairs 

Damage to the foundation and your plumbing system can result in basement flooding, so making repairs at the first sign of a problem can prevent more widespread damage. 

Concrete foundations can develop cracks thanks to several factors, like soil shifting, settling, and poor drainage. Inspect the foundation every few months and repair any cracks — even small ones — with a waterproofing product. Addressing recurring plumbing problems, like frequent clogs or small leaks, also helps maintain a dry basement by keeping minor issues from becoming major ones.

Maintain the Gutters 

Gutters do more than protect your roof. The channels direct rainwater away from the foundation, which keeps the foundation and the basement dry. Keep them clean and debris-free (consider investing in gutter guards to block leaves and twigs), and make sure the downspouts and drains direct water away from the foundation.

Add a Floor Drain

Although building codes now require builders to include a basement drainage system with floor drains in new construction, if you have an older home, it may not have one. The type of drain that’s best for your basement depends on the water source, but any drain will direct water to one central point where it can flow outside or into a sump pit. Some options include French drains, curtain drains, channel drains, and standard basement drains. 

Let Gladiator Services Help You Keep Your Basement Dry

Frequent basement flooding can be a serious problem for your home. Pooling water not only creates a health hazard, but it can also result in structural damage to your home and, eventually, expensive repairs. 

When you need help determining how to prevent basement flooding, making plumbing repairs, or want to add a new drain or sump pump, get in touch with Gladiator Services in Hillsdale, NJ. We can answer all your questions, like, “Why is there water in my sump pump pit?” and, “What’s the best drain type for my basement?” Don’t wait for water to destroy your basement; call us at (201) 512-8972 right away to stop unwanted water issues.