Interior Leaks
Basement waterproofing is nothing if not a complicated process. What do you need to know about interior leaks causing basement water problems?
Interior Leaks
Of all the basement waterproofing problems you might have, interior leaks can be some of the most frustrating. This is largely because there’s not anything you can do to stop it. You just have to know how to manage your interior leaks once they occur. However, if there’s any good news about the problem, it’s this: You can manage them very effectively. Here’s what you need to know about handling your interior basement leaks.
Why Do Interior Leaks Occur?
There is a range of causes of interior basement leaks. Anytime water comes into the basement from the inside of your home, that’s an interior leak. Here are a few of the most common reasons you might experience interior leaks.
- Poor Plumbing
If you have low-quality plumbing in the basement, you might experience interior leaks. This can happen if a plumber didn’t ensure that all the connections in your plumbing were strong. If this low-quality plumbing exists anywhere in your home, those connections can burst surprisingly easily.
- Old Pipes
Over time, the plumbing in your home degrades and breaks down. It’s one of the reasons you should make sure you’re always paying attention to your regular inspections. Natural entropy is something that will happen with all plumbing, but if you pay attention to the pipes’ age and condition, you’ll be less likely to have piping issues.
- Frozen Pipes
What if you live in a cold area? You probably already know you might end up with frozen pipes from time to time. Frozen pipes can be an extremely serious problem because the water pressure can build up in strange areas in the pipes. You might end up with a pipe bursting from the excessive water pressure.
- Unintentional Movement
Did you accidentally move one of the pipes in your home? It’s not uncommon for someone to bump a pipe accidentally or jostle a screw without thinking about it. This unintentional movement won’t always cause problems for your piping, but it definitely can. Always keep an eye out any time you’re around exposed piping.
- Natural Disaster
If there was recently a natural disaster in the area, chances are that you’ve had some sort of damage both inside and outside the home. Natural disasters can cause a variety of damage types, but one type of damage that can occur is piping problems. This is especially true if you had an earthquake or hurricane, which can directly impact piping, but other types of natural disasters can also cause piping concerns.
- Rain and Flooding
In many situations, rain and flooding cause external flooding. However, what happens if you experience rain and flooding that enters the home? You might end up with water coming into the basement from the ceiling as it floods your entire home.
Common Causes of Basement Water Problems
Solutions That Fit Into Your Life
How Can I Most Effectively Handle Interior Leaks in My Basement?
Handling interior leaks in the basement is a process. It’s not a one-step procedure that you can do anytime you experience an interior leak. Here are the things that you need to do if you want to make sure an interior leak doesn’t seriously harm your basement.
- Basement Sump Pump
A basement sump pump should be one of the most important things you prioritize for your basement. Even if you’re great with basement waterproofing, you still may not be able to prevent internal leaks.
This is where a sump pump can be an effective way of avoiding basement concerns. Sure, you can’t just put a basement sump pump in and say that you have a fully waterproofed basement. However, a basement sump pump is a great way of avoiding issues with internal and external water problems.
- Basement Dehumidifier
What happens when the water from a leak is technically gone, but the humidity from the standing water stays behind? The best way to tackle this problem is with a basement dehumidifier. As with a basement sump pump, the dehumidifier isn’t a one-stop fix; you can’t use it to make your basement suddenly healthy if it currently has all sorts of problems with moisture. However, it’s a great addition to an existing basement waterproofing system.
Remember that a basement dehumidifier is very different from a generalized dehumidifier. Basement dehumidifiers tend to be much more powerful because basements tend to be so big. Additionally, it’s common for them to be more energy-efficient because otherwise, you might use a lot of energy with your basement dehumidifier running frequently.
- Regular Inspections
Last, but certainly not least, you need to think about how regular inspections will make your basement healthier. No one wants to schedule regular inspections for the basement. However, it is a crucial element of basement health. Regular inspections are a great way for you to see what’s going on in your basement and what you might need to pay more attention to.
It’s a good idea to get inspections at least once every year. Additionally, if you notice anything that you think might be a problem, you may want to consider whether to bring in a basement repair expert from Groundworks to weigh in on the problem. With your self-inspections and a Groundworks expert’s professional inspections, you’ll be able to keep your basement as healthy as possible.
FAQs About Interior Basement Leaks
Interior basement leaks are frustrating to handle at the best of times. It’s best to make sure that you’re avoiding them as much as possible. With all these elements combined, it’s less likely that you’ll end up with an interior leak that harms your basement.
- Prevention
Inspections are typically your best way to minimize interior basement leaks. With regular inspections, you’ll know more about your basement, which means you’ll be able to prepare for any leaks that might be on the horizon. You could even prevent some of these leaks by replacing parts that look like they might die soon.
Remember, even if you don’t think the problem is as bad as it could be, you must invest in tools that will help you prevent future concerns. Even just a little bit of water in your basement or crawl space could be extremely dangerous. You need to make sure that you’re avoiding water problems, as a single mismanaged water problem could end up becoming a mold or mildew infestation.
- Add Tools for Better Waterproofing
You can also minimize these leaks by installing tools that can help you get around them, like sump pumps and dehumidifiers. In general, complete crawl space encapsulation is the best option if you’re looking to waterproof your basement against both types of leaks. However, this may be a bit different for each basement.
Many tools can help you with your waterproofing needs. Talk to a sump pump expert from Groundworks to learn more about which tools will work best for waterproofing. Getting help from an expert is typically going to be the best way to ensure that you’re getting the right information regarding your fixes.
Interior basement leaks are a huge deal. No matter where they’re coming from or why you’re seeing them, stopping and fixing interior basement leaks is one of the most important things you can do. It’s important to handle interior basement leaks early on because otherwise, you’re liable to run into these problems and more.
- Less Likely to Know About Leaks
Unfortunately, it’s common for interior basement leaks to have recurring problems with the homeowners being unaware of the situation and how severe it is. If you’re having interior basement leaks, you’re less likely to have any defense against them, since they can escalate out of sight and cause secondary issues that only have subtle warning signs.
Interior basement leaks can be gushing leaks that you call in a plumber for help with immediately, but this isn’t always the case. It’s also possible for an interior basement leak to slowly form mold, raise humidity levels, or impact your electricity bills by harming your insulation. Even a leak that entails just a few drops every day or so can immensely raise the interior humidity, which is a huge problem.
- Serious Amounts of Damage
Interior basement leaks sometimes cause significant amounts of damage to the entire home. Interior basement leaks can cause more problems than exterior leaks, especially if you don’t know they’re happening. That can be expensive and frustrating to deal with as a homeowner.
However, all too commonly, people don’t fix the source of the problems they’re experiencing in their basements. Instead, they might just think about how to tackle the flooding that will arise from these interior leaks. You must fix the source of the leaks and not just the flooding itself. Otherwise, the problem’s just going to continue.
It’s possible to have an interior and exterior leak simultaneously. Don’t assume that you can only have issues with interior leaks or exterior leaks. If you have a basement or crawl space, you need to make sure you’re waterproofing it against both interior and exterior leaks.
- Types of Interior and Exterior Leaks
Interior and exterior leaks have different sources. For example, if a pipe on the inside of your home has burst, spilling water everywhere, but your egress window is also leaking because of significant amounts of rain outside, you’re experiencing both interior and exterior basement leaks. Dealing with both is important.
The fixes for these types of leaks will typically be very different, but equally important. You can’t just assume that the fix will be the same, but some things will help regardless of where the leak is coming from. A professional will be able to help you parse through your options and apply the cleanest, fastest, and least costly solution.
- How to Help with Both Types of Leaks
Regardless of where the water is coming from, the procedure for fixing the leak tends to be the same. First, mitigate the source of the leak if possible, then remove the standing water from the basement and keep it dry. This is a great option for both interior and exterior leaks.
It’s also important to invest in protection for your basement or crawl space. For example, a crawl space vapor barrier will help you avoid condensation from humidity that comes up from the dirt, but it’ll also make it much easier to isolate any standing water that occurs due to serious leaks in the basement or crawl space.
Interior basement leaks are frustrating, but the good news is that you can manage them pretty easily. You just need to know who to go to when you’re having interior basement leaking problems. With a basement repair expert, you can create a system that will manage your basement more easily than if you were using DIY methods.
- DIY Solutions
DIY might be the first thing that springs to mind when it comes to fixing elements of your home. The problem is that it isn’t a very effective solution for most problems in the home. Sure, it might be something you could physically do, but if you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s likely that you will end up escalating the root issue.
Your home, especially your home’s basement, is typically very sensitive to large changes. DIY solutions are more likely to harm the home than they are to fix anything. Instead of trying to DIY something so crucial to your home’s health, you need to instead make sure that you’re fixing things for good with the help of an expert.
- An Expert Response
A basement repair expert will go through your basement, taking notes and looking to see what problems you might have. From there, they can discuss what will need addressing right away and what can be put off until a later date without causing extra damage. It’s a straight shot to getting a healthier basement with a Groundworks basement repair expert.
It might seem like overkill, but the truth is that you should always aim for something more thorough. Foundation issues can escalate into costly repairs and full replacements may cost more than the value of the home itself. The foundation will determine how long the home stands, so safeguarding it for the future means investing in long-term value. Schedule an appointment with a Groundworks expert to learn more about your options. It’ll be the best option if you’re looking for something that will fix your problems.
Manage Your Interior Basement Leaks More Easily with an Expert’s Help
Interior basement leaks are frustrating and extremely annoying to deal with as a homeowner. However, you don’t have to tackle these leaks alone. If you want to make it easier to manage interior basement leaks, you just have to get help. Who better to help with basement waterproofing problems than a basement waterproofing expert?
Whether you have ongoing problems with interior leaks that impact your basement or you’re just hoping to avoid these problems in the future, a Groundworks expert can help. Talk to a basement waterproofing expert today to get more information about your options.