Why is water coming into my basement?
ProAxis would like to help you get the water O.U.T. of your basement with the following
helpful tips.
Water can enter your
basement in three ways:
Over your foundation wall,
Up through the floor, or
Through your foundation wall.
Let’s say you notice water streaming down from the top of your foundation wall. Most likely, the entry point is over the wall itself. This may be due to landscaping – either it is pitched towards your house or the grade is too high. With either of those reasons, the rain water sits along the sill plate, which is where the home’s wood structure and concrete meet. There is not a water tight seal at the sill plate, so water can seep in through this seam. Re-landscaping or re-grading is typically the fix for these issues.
Or maybe, if you notice water in the gap between the foundation wall and the floor, water is coming up through the floor. The gap exists because the floor and walls are poured at separate times. The water leakage has to do with hydrostatic pressure that builds up and pushes water through this gap. This happens most often when the water table is high due to heavy rains or rapid snow melt during a spring thaw. Drain tile connected to a sump pump system can fix this.
Lastly, you see that water always seems to collect in the same spot in your basement. This means water is probably coming through the foundation wall. There can be many reasons for this, and epoxy or urethane injections are the remedy. During the building process, metal “ties” are sometimes used when the concrete is poured into foundation to hold the forms together. When the forms are removed, the metal ties are snapped off flush to the concrete. If these rust, the seal between the metal and concrete is broken and leaks can occur. Also, the foundation may be cracked through to the exterior. Unfortunately, concrete sometimes cracks. A cracked foundation is an open invite to water, as the hydrostatic pressure forces the water through the crack.
Regardless of the reason, a homeowner should consider calling a waterproofing contractor to troubleshoot and offer solutions. A dry basement will keep you smiling!
