How to Stop Water From Seeping in My Basement

Water seepage in a basement is a challenge that many homeowners face. While this issue can have a dramatic negative impact on your home, the good news is that many methods help prevent water from entering your basement in the first place.

Some solutions we’ll present are simple, easy to accomplish, and suitable for homeowners to perform independently. Other seepage prevention solutions require assistance from a professional.

What Causes Water to Enter a Basement?

1. Drainage problems: Many basements feature a drainage system that is effective at collecting and conveying water away from your home. Meanwhile, other homes lack an adequate drainage system, making them more prone to water seepage. Even with proper foundation drainage structures, they can become clogged or broken, often leading to water in your basement.
2. Hydrostatic pressure: When water arrives outside your basement walls, it creates hydrostatic pressure. Hydrostatic pressure refers to the force that water places on the surfaces it contacts. In this scenario, hydrostatic pressure places an immense force on the outside of your foundation walls. This force can crack and deform your walls and cause water to seep inside.
3. Pooling water around your foundation: Several sources can cause water to pool around your foundation. Some common culprits include poor grading, clogged gutters, and short downspouts. Regardless of the cause, pooling water can seep through the soil and into your basement.
4. Flooding and other natural events: Occasionally, storms and flooding cause water to leak into your basement. Even if you have a drainage system in place, an exceptionally high volume of water can reduce its effectiveness, leading to water in your basement.

Ways to Prevent Water Seepage in a Basement

While there are plenty of ways water can enter your basement, there are also several ways to prevent this occurrence. The list below shares some valuable tactics you can use to prevent basement water seepage:

1. Regrade your landscape: If the land around your home is flat or pitches towards your foundation, it encourages rainwater to pool. As rainwater accumulates next to a basement, it is more likely to seep inside.
2. Clean your gutters: When gutters are clogged, they can overflow, causing water to rest near your foundation and eventually work its way inside.
3. Install downspout extensions: When downspouts are too short, they deposit water too close to your foundation. Installing extensions helps the downspouts move water further away from your basement.
4. Missing or broken drain tile system: A drain tile system is a linear trench full of porous material and a perforated pipe. When water reaches one of these trenches, it percolates into the pipe, which moves it toward a sump pit or away from the home. Some homes lack drain tile systems, while others have drain tile systems that are broken or clogged. A working drain tile system is one of the best ways to prevent water from entering a basement.
5. Waterproof your basement: Basement waterproofing is an effective way to prevent water from seeping inside. This service involves installing a complete seal between your basement and the outside. This seal not only prevents water from getting inside, but it also makes it difficult for pests to enter as well.
6. Resolve hydrostatic pressure: When hydrostatic pressure accumulates, you must contact a professional to relieve the force. To achieve that goal, your foundation team will likely excavate, improve drainage structures, and reinforce your basement wall if it has received damage. Following this service, basement water seepage will be much less likely.

What Happens When Water Seeps Into Your Basement?

Now that you know some ways to prevent basement water seepage, it’s crucial to understand why these tactics are vital. Below is a list of some of the negative outcomes that seeping water can cause in a basement:

1. Water damage to structures: Moisture is especially harmful to wooden structural components as they are more prone to rot. Since your home depends on basement structures for support, water damage can be detrimental to the overall structural integrity of your home.
2. Foul scents: Seeping water generates foul odors that fill your basement and spread throughout your entire home.
3. Mold and mildew: Higher moisture levels encourage the growth of mold and mildew, both of which are unsightly and result in poor air quality. Mold and mildew are especially harmful to those with asthma, allergies, or other lung conditions.
4. Pest infestations: The openings in your basement that allow water to seep inside also allow pests to enter. Additionally, some pests prefer a moist environment, meaning that seeping water makes infestations more likely.
5. Damaged flooring and appliances: Water is detrimental to flooring, appliances, and any other feature of your basement. Repairing the damage can be quite costly, especially if you have a finished basement.
6. Ruined belongings: Along with damaging flooring, appliances, and structures, seeping basement water will also damage any items you store in your basement.

Hire a Pro to Stop Water From Seeping into Your Basement

It’s best to address a basement water seepage problem as soon as you notice it. Allowing seepage to continue will only exacerbate the problems we mentioned above. Rather than attempting to prevent seepage independently, it’s best to hire a knowledgeable professional to perform this service for you.

If you are in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, or the surrounding areas, and you are struggling to prevent water from seeping into your basement, reach out to Atlas Master Companies 911. At AMC911, we have the knowledge and experience to resolve current water issues and prevent them from recurring. Contact us today to learn more.