Causes of Basement Water Problems
Your basement can be inundated with a number of problems, such as floods and moisture leading to mold and mildew growth. Here are some of the common reasons you're experiencing basement water problems.
What Causes Water Problems in My Basement?
If you’ve ever experienced basement water problems, chances are you’ve been frustrated about the entire process. It’s true, no one wants to experience problems regarding water in the basement. Most homeowners, upon experiencing water basement problems, tend to feel frustrated. However, it’s common to treat the surface problem rather than the source. If you’re looking to learn more about the causes of basement water, here’s what you should know.
Common Causes of Basement Water Problems
Top Reasons for Basement Water Problems
There are a number of reasons you might have basement water problems, but there are a few that top the list.
- Clogged Footing Drains
Footing drains are drains that go all around the basement. These drains help remove water that would otherwise accumulate in the basement. However, if the drains clog, which is fairly common with some types of footing drains for the water to continue to accumulate because it has nowhere to go. If you’re dealing with these problems, you’ll either need to install footing drains or other types of drainage that don’t clog as easily or clean the drains more frequently.
The soil around your home always has some amount of water in it. However, some types of soil may hold more water than other types of soil, and sometimes it may have more water than other times. If your walls are experiencing too much hydrostatic pressure, you might end up with bowing basement walls, which can start to crack and split. That will cause water to spill through, whether in significant streams or very small amounts.
- Soil Settlement
As the soil around and under your basement moves, it will typically change the way in which your basement rests. Although this can be no big deal, it can also be a significant problem that your foundation continually tries to manage. At some point, if the soil has settled dramatically enough, it may end up cracking or warping your foundation, which can cause it to allow water in from the outside or underneath.
- Hurricanes
Especially in southeastern areas of the United States, hurricanes are a significant problem. Hurricanes are huge storms that require a variety of factors to form, but these factors tend to be prominent just off the coast of the southeast United States, making it common for them to form there. The significant amount of rain, substantial amounts of wind, and the possibility for flooding make it extremely common for these storms to cause basement water problems.
- Nor’easters
If you live near the northeastern United States, you may experience something called a “nor’easter” instead of a hurricane. Nor’easters differ from hurricanes because they form due to gigantic temperature differences between the cold air along the coast and the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean. However, they are similar to hurricanes in the way they can cause serious concerns all throughout your basement or crawl space.
Cracks in your basement walls are extremely serious and they’re something you should address as soon as possible. If you’re experiencing basement wall cracks on a regular basis, it’s important to note that water can come through these cracks and start to cause problems in your basement. Basement wall cracks shouldn’t be something that you write off as normal; they’re something you need to address with the help of a basement repair expert.
Can These Problems Cause Other Issues?
One reason some people don’t tackle their basement water problems is that they think these problems won’t have an impact on anything else. Here’s how they can impact other areas of your home.
- Foundation Concerns
If you have too many basement water problems, you’re almost certainly going to end up with foundation concerns. Your basement has a connection to your foundation because it’s a crucial part of the foundation. Water problems in your basement are certainly going to end up becoming more serious problems with the foundation as a whole.
The foundation concerns in your basement are some of the most important concerns you need to consider when you’re thinking about how to keep your home healthy. All foundation concerns are important, but if you’re having foundation concerns due to basement water problems, that means you’re having foundation problems because of something you could fix.
- Home Structural Concerns
Whenever the foundation has an impact, you can rest assured that the rest of the home’s structure will feel that impact. The foundation directly impacts everything around it. If you’ve noticed problems like doors and windows sticking, it could be that you’re having basement concerns.
These basement concerns are ultra-important to pay attention to for this very reason. Remember, your home is like a puzzle with thousands of pieces. If you put even one piece out of place, you’re going to end up with something that’s not quite right. These home structural concerns are an incredible example of the way in which the home has to fit together perfectly.
- Health Concerns
Did you know that problems in your basement can translate to health concerns for yourself and your family? If you have problems in your basement, those problems may include things like dust, dirt, mold and mildew. Because of where your basement sits, your home shares a lot of its air with the basement, which means all those things also come into the rest of the home.
For the most part, these things aren’t dangerous to the people living in the home. However, they can be extremely annoying because the health concerns in question can exacerbate existing health problems. Allergies and asthma can grow worse over time. Basement waterproofing can help.
Repair Your Basement Water Problems with an Expert’s Help
The best way to fix basement water problems is with an expert’s help. Although you might want to DIY some of these fixes, you really can’t. The only way you can make sure you’ve fixed the problem for good is to talk to an expert about it. When you do, you’ll have the comfort and knowledge of knowing your basement problems have a permanent fix.
Anytime you’re experiencing basement water problems, your best bet is to talk to a Groundworks basement repair expert. A local professional can help you with all sorts of basement problems, which includes the most common issue — basement water problems.
