How to Avoid a Leaky Basement

When it comes to avoiding a leaky basement, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Not having a leaky basement is a priority to both buyers and sellers alike. Houses with flooded basements are hard to sell. 

If you own a house with a leaky basement you may not be able to take advantage of its available space. Flooded foundations can be weak and have cracks in the wall. Slimy walls can grow toxic mold, breed insects and nematodes and also affect the air quality of the basement. 

Most basement floods can be trace to trouble with drainage around the perimeters of the house. Water pressure builds up in the soil and if too much collects it will just naturally start to leak into your basement through your walls or even up through the center of the soil. This is why it is important for the soil outside of your home to have a slow downwards from your house’s perimeter. The ideal slope to take rain run off and other sources of water away from your foundation is at an angle of six inches and runs for about four feet away from your house’s outside walls. 

It is also important to avoid landscape architecture that holds soil to the house. A brick, stone or concrete edging around flower beds may look great but if this type of raised flower bed is too close to you home it can increase the risk of flooding.

Signs of a Basement Leak