Waterproofing Your Basement

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Before. Photo courtesy of Basement Systems. Three years ago, Kathryn Landers awoke to a Mother Nature bashing that left six inches of rainwater soaking her Ohio basement. After watching in angst as pillows floated by, she began the grueling three-week process of pumping the water out of the basement with a sump pump. Months later, after purchasing new fixtures, the thaw of the winter's snow put four more inches of water into her basement. Carpeting, electronics and books were ruined, and she knew it was time to prevent the flooding from happening again. To help understand the trouble, she asked friends who had professional landscaping experience to her home to investigate. After drilling a hole into the side of the drain where the sump pump is located below the ground level to see how much water was rising up from below the ground, she was shocked. Water was flowing like an open garden hose and didn't stop for weeks. "An underground spring was pushing water up through the floor, but we found this odd since our house is notably higher than our neighbors," says Landers. Landers shouldn't feel alone. According to The Institute for Business & Home Safety's (IBHS) analysis of insurance industry, $1 of every $5 paid for home and business property losses in recent years has stemmed from damage due to freezing weather, snow and water leaks. After. Photo courtesy of Basement Systems. Questions to Ask Yourself There are steps homeowners can take to help minimize potential damage. Wendy Rose of IBHS first suggests homeowners answer two important questions: when and where? "When does the basement flood—every year at the same time or at random intervals—and where is it flooding?" asks Rose. "If water is entering near the top of the wall in one location, an improperly sloped landscape angled toward the house could be the cause." If so, Rose suggests reshaping the landscape around the foundation of the home to redirect the water to another part of the yard. "If the entire wall is damp or water is entering through multiple wall surfaces, this may be a sign of a faulty or missing water proofing membrane," she says.

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