What are the causes of basement flooding

1. P a g e | 1 What are the causes of basement flooding? Basement flooding is one of the most unpleasant experience that a lot of homeowners face on a regular basis in Toronto, Canada. It can happen to anyone owning a basement even if it has not happened before. There are myriads of reasons for this flooding. Sometimes it happens due to seepage from the walls or floors, however, at times it may occur due to bad sewer backup too. Basements are prone to flooding as they are built below the ground level and groundwater is naturally located at ground’s surface area. Moreover, another major reason is that the sewers are located at the lowest levels of the ground surface because of which basement’s depth should be kept in mind while constructing a building. Many a time, basement owners prefer to ignore the basement flooding issue. They let it happen and wait to get it dried up instead of removing its root cause. This harms not only the basement area but also the strength of the entire building. Constant flooding in the basement directly impacts the building’s foundation because of which the entire building gets weak. This often leads to the cracks on various parts of the building and also weakens it to bare the natural calamities like heavy storms, earthquakes etc. However, to fix the root cause of the basement flooding it is essential to look for its causes. Some of the major causes of basement flooding are listed below. PABRESTORATION.COM PABNETWORK.COM

2. P a g e | 2 Location of the house This is the most common reason for basement flooding. The location of the house is extremely important while planning to build a basement area on the premises. It is always recommended to build a house on sloped terrain instead of lower parts of the property. Buildings on sloped terrains do not face problems like accumulated waters in parts of the premises as they get drained off due to slopes. Therefore, if the property is located at the lower part of the estate, the architect prefers to raise the ground surface level. This reduces the chances of basement flooding. It’s interesting to note that slopes are conspicuous targets of the builders as with time even high slopes will tend to be leveled by erosion. Poor Floors, Walls, and Ceilings Another reason for basement flooding is poor flooring, walls, and ceilings. While building a house (or any premises), it is important to see that there is no leakage in the floors and walls. The tiles must be sealed properly during the construction itself. This reduces the chances of water seepage in extreme weather conditions from the walls resulting in basement flooding. The walls, ceilings, and floors that are properly sealed easily bare the heavy storms and downpours. After the construction, if any such seepage is found, the owner should fix this on priority to ignore any kind of basement flooding. Blockage In Gutter System The blocked gutter system throws back the sewer water to the building, facing this blockage issue. This is the most annoying causes of basement flooding. The basement stinks and it becomes even worse for the property owners to get it removed. In the situations when the basement is flooded with the sewer water, the owner should immediately contact the local authorities for help. The authorities can help to fix the blockage for the owners. This must be taken care of on an immediate basis as it can be disastrous for the building's foundation too. Bad Installation Of Drainage System A drainage system that is installed incorrectly often leads to leakage. If the pipes to drain rainwater are placed close to the basement wall or if it is within the range of 6 feet from the walls of the basement, PABRESTORATION.COM PABNETWORK.COM

3. P a g e | 3 there is a high probability of basement flooding. It is essential to note that these pipes should neither be placed close to the basement walls nor should drain towards the walls of the basement. The best situation to drain the waters through these pipes is to direct them towards the streets or backyards and not towards the neighbor buildings or own basements. Eavestroughs filled with debris The eavestroughs that are filled with debris flows the rainwater towards the basement as they are located at the lowest parts of the premises. Hence, it has a simple solution. Cleaning! Keeping an eye on eavestroughs. Ensuring that they are getting cleaned on a regular basis reduces the chance of getting it filled with debris. Regular cleaning activity of eavestrough helps in protecting the basement from flooding. Breakage Of Water Supply Sometimes the internal pipeline of a building breaks resulting in basement flooding. It may happen due to hot water tank failure, old pipelines with low maintenance, puncture of the pipes during construction etc. Whenever the owner notices a leakage in the walls, they should immediately speak to a plumber. A plumber can see the leakage and suggest the necessary actions to be taken in such cases. Irrigation Placing lawn irrigation next to the property can also be one of the reasons for basement flooding. Therefore, it is recommended to keep a distance between the building and the lawns or gardens. On the other hand, if this can not be ignored the owner should ensure that the amount of water disperse on the lawn is limited and should not overflow towards the building. Also, a working rain gauge in the irrigation system is a good idea. These were some major causes of basement flooding. If these are taken care of by the building owners, the problem of basement flooding can never appear. If you also know some more causes of basement flooding, do let us know. We will be happy to hear! PABRESTORATION.COM PABNETWORK.COM