Tis the Season for the Woes of a Wet Basement

Spring and summer in this part of the world bring showers and sudden cloudbursts that can drop large amounts of rain in a short time. As a result, we hear about basement flooding and we are called in to diagnose the problem and provide advice on how to avoid the hazards, expense and inconveniences of wet basement.

Hazardous, Expensive and Inconvenient

According to CMHC (Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation), there are 30,000 to 40,000 incidents of basement flooding every year with the average damages costing $3000 to $5000. In 2005, severe rainfall caused urban flooding in the Greater Toronto Area and resulted in more than CAD$400 million.

At Key Home Inspections, we want to help you avoid chronic flooding that can have a huge impact on the value of your home and the integrity of the structure. Continuously wet or damp buildings can contribute to respiratory challenges for residents.

What Causes Basement Flooding?

• Plugged or overflowing eaves troughs and downspouts
• Weeping tile failure
• Basement wall cracks or leaks
• Main sewer blockage between house and main sewer in street
• Sump pump failure
• Wastewater backup.

How to Avoid Basement Flooding

Downspouts and Eaves Troughing

• Disconnect your downspout from the sewer system to reduce overloading that causes flooded basements.
• Ensure eaves troughs and downspouts extend:
• 1.8 metres (6 feet) from the basement wall
• away from the house and toward the street, rear yard or back lane
• away from your neighbour's basement walls
• Clean debris from eaves troughs regularly. Replace them with a larger size if they overflow regularly.

Lot Grading

• Ensure the land slopes away from your basement walls. Over time earth settles and it should be regraded to ensure it slopes away for at least 1.8 metres (6 feet ) from the basement walls and windows.
• Ensure sidewalks, patios, decks, driveways and pathways also slope away from the basement walls.
• Proper lot grading ensures that water does not seep through basement windows and cracks in basement walls.

Foundation Planting

• Make the 1.8 metre (6 foot) perimeter area surrounding the foundation impervious to water penetration and slope it away from the basement walls.
• Water collecting next to your basement walls can cause problems so you need to make every effort to ensure water can easily flow away.

Floodproofing Devices

• Sump pumps and backflow devices can help prevent a backup of water and sewage in basement. Some installations may require a municipal permit. Consult a qualified plumber.

These measures will help avoid some of the hazards, expense and inconveniences of basement flooding.

Houses develop ailments just like people do. When you are ill you go to the doctor. When something in your house fails, what should you do? We suggest that you get the problem diagnosed correctly. With the right diagnosis, you can find the proper solution and implement it in a cost effective way. The diagnostic stage is critical to finding the solution.

Call us at Key Home Inspections
Tel: (905) 851-0824
Toll Free: 1-866-559-6100
or email us at: Key@KeyHomeInspect.com