Causes Of Basement Flooding

Why a Basement Might Flood

When you live in a house that has a basement, you are exposed to flooding risks. These can be mild or severe, depending on the nature of the problem. If your basement floods regularly, you may have to move out of your home or lose everything.

When talking about basement flooding, there are two primary causes: wet weather and dry weather. Wet weather can cause flooding due to heavy rains and snow melt. Dry weather can cause flooding due to blockages in sewer lines, water supply lines, and other underground pipes. Both types of flooding can occur any time during the year, but they are more common during the rainy season.

Basement flooding can occur in any type of home. It is not just a problem that affects older houses. There are several different causes of basement flooding.

Flooding During Dry Weather

Flooding during dry weather is typically caused by poor foundation drainage. The water table in many areas rises to the surface during heavy rains or melting snow. This water can find its way into your basement if there are cracks or holes in your foundation walls or floor. If you have cracked walls or floors in your basement, it's important to seal them as soon as possible before any further damage is done to your home.

A Blocked or Failed Sewer Line

A blocked or failed sewer line, a broken water supply line, a hot water tank, and a foundation drainage failure. These problems can occur without warning and cause extensive damage to your property. If you suspect your home is experiencing any of these problems, contact Tidal Wave Response immediately.

Foundation Drainage Failure

This is one of the most common causes of basement flooding. A failing foundation drain is a crack or gap in the foundation wall that allows water to seep into your basement. With time, this can cause rot, mold, and mildew growth, as well as structural damage to your home.

Water Supply Line Failure

If your water supply line to the house has failed, the pressure will drop, and the water will stop flowing. The next time you turn on a faucet, the water may not come out at all, or it will come out slowly. If this happens at night when no one is home, there could be flooding in your basement before you know it.

Hot Water Tank Failure

The first sign of a hot water tank failure is often no hot water in any faucets or showerheads. When this happens in wintertime with temperatures below freezing outside, it's more likely that you'll notice right away because the cold temperature will feel strange to take a shower in. However, if it's summertime with temperatures above 90°F outside (or even mild), you might not realize there's anything wrong until after you've taken a shower or two and try to take another one!

Flooding During Wet Weather

You may have a wet basement during wet weather because the ground around your house is simply saturated. But more often, water enters your basement through some other source.

Overland Flooding

The most common cause of wet basements is overland flooding. This happens when rainwater flows into your yard and then into your basement. To prevent overland flooding, landscape accordingly and ensure you have proper gutters and downspouts.

Foundation Drainage Failure

Another common cause of wet basements is drainage failure in the foundation walls or floor drains. If there is no longer any way for water to leave the basement, it will stay there and eventually leak through the foundation wall or floor drain into the basement itself. You'll need professional help to fix this problem, but first, make sure there isn't another cause — such as a clogged drain — before proceeding with repairs.

Seepage

Seepage occurs when water seeps through cracks in your soil and into small openings in your foundation walls, such as cracks around utility lines or pipes, joints between concrete blocks or brick veneers, and even around windowsills and doorsills where concrete meets wood framing materials.

Sump Pump Failure

Suppose you need to install a sump pump in your basement. In that case, you may be at risk for a flood if heavy rain washes away earth near your foundation walls allowing groundwater to flow directly into your basement, forming a pond below ground level, which can fill up very quickly, causing water to rise quickly inside.

Weeping Tiles

Weeping tiles are an important part of a basement waterproofing system. They are designed to release any water that gets into the basement and prevent it from seeping up into the house through the floor. Weeping tiles should be installed outside the foundation wall at least six inches below grade (the bottom of your yard). They can be made of concrete or plastic. They're usually installed when you build your house or when you have a new addition put on it. When they fail, you get flooding.

Tidal Wave Response

Having to deal with a flooded basement is no fun, especially when you can't tell when the next rainy days are coming. Although there are many reasons a basement might flood, the worst thing that can happen is when water and mud come rushing in while you're away from home. The first sign of flooding may be an odor or wet flooring and suddenly rising water levels.

Unfortunately, this can also mean that the cause is due to heavy rains over an extended period of time, which is nearly impossible to predict and causes damage fast! This is where our preventative measures against basement flooding come in handy and will save you thousands of dollars, not to mention your sanity! Tidal Wave Response specializes in water damage restoration and aims to preserve your property as much as possible.