For homeowners, one of the worst things that they can encounter is a flooded basement. The causes for a basement to flood are numerous, so the best thing you can do is call a repairman in order to find the exact cause for the water. Unfortunately, if you’re not looking for them, there are several warning signs that can indicate if your basement isn’t waterproofed or if there’s going to be an issue later on. If these warnings aren’t heeded, you’ll be facing large repair bills for your basement and the risk of moisture being trapped in the room and causing mold growth to eat away at your walls and floors. It’s not a risk you want to take, so understand that if something doesn’t look right, you should let someone know right away.
One thing to check in your basement is if there are any leaks coming from the walls or windows after a heavy rain. This is a simple way for you to check if your basement is prone to taking on water and, if caught early enough, is as simple as filling in the leaking areas and resizing the windows for a tighter fit. If your walls leak even when there isn’t a storm, this could be due to trapped moisture on the outside of your basement or inside the walls themselves. A finished basement’s walls would show more obvious signs of bowing or swelling, but if you notice your basement’s walls looking uneven in places, it’s a good time to call someone to check that there’s no buildup of water.
Another thing that you can easily check for is the effectiveness of the drainage in your basement. Many unfinished basements have a floor drain that was installed to catch any water that does happen to appear in the basement and send it out into the main sewer line of the city you’re in. Unfortunately, this can incur damage from a number of causes, making it unable to drain properly or to clog and cause the water inside it to rise instead of drain. It’s always good to test this floor drain from time to time to make sure that it’s draining properly. If it’s not, you’ll need to reach out to someone in order to have it unclogged or to have the pipe repaired.
Indiana is a state that experiences a lot of heavy rainstorms during the summer and large amounts of snowfall during the winter. These weather patterns are known, but can also cause issues for your basement if it isn’t fully waterproofed. Runoff from melting snow can have your basement flooded within a few hours, if you have openings in your walls or windows to allow the water to come in. Steady rainfall over the course of a few days can bring dirt and debris to clog your pipes and keep the water in your home.
If you have any questions regarding the cost of waterproofing and what it entails, please click here for more information. Indiana Foundation Repair provides information on their site regarding all sorts of repairs and a phone number you can call if you need an appointment.
